Injustice For All
by Erika
Summary: When a Hogwarts student is killed by a werewolf, Remus is arrested for murder. Is he guilty? Will James and Sirius be able to save him from execution?
1. Prologue

**Title:** Injustice For All

**Author:** Erika

**Rating:** PG-13 (swearing)

**Summary:** When a Hogwarts student is killed by a werewolf, Remus is arrested for murder. Is he guilty? Will James and Sirius be able to save him from execution?

**Timeframe:** Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter are seventh-years.

**Spoilers:** For PoA

**Category:** _Angst_, H/C, POV

**Disclaimers:** Hogwarts and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling, I'm only borrowing them to have a little fun and I promise to return them unharmed (well, at least mostly unharmed). I'm making no money from this and this is written for entertainment purposes only. Any characters that are not recognizable as being part of the HP universe belong to me, but you guys probably figured that out, right?

**Feedback:** Both positive feedback and _constructive_ criticism are greatly appreciated and will be cherished!

**Archive:** Please ask first.

**Author's Note: **There are references to my stories "Moonlit Perdition" and "Absolution" but everything important is explained in this story. If you would like to read the rest of my HP fics, they can be found on my website.

**

Injustice For All  


****Prologue**

**Sirius:**

"Prepare to execute the werewolf," the Minister of Magic ordered in a steely tone.

The two wizards nodded mutely, raising their wands in unison.

Numbly, my eyes raked over the crowd of people that had gathered to watch the _murder_. There was a satisfied glint in their eyes. It was as if they were witnessing a neighborhood pest being put down. Not one of them seemed to grasp the atrocity that was about to be committed. I wanted to scream at them. _Don't you realize?_ I wanted to shout, _don't you realize this is a _person _we're _killing? This wasn't a rabid dog or deranged psychopath who had tortured and raped fifteen women. This was a _human being_.

My stomach gave a lurch. I was going to be sick. God, how could this be happening? How could they execute someone for doing something he had absolutely no control over? It wasn't his fault! He was the victim of a horrible condition that cursed him with madness once every month. He wasn't a murderer! He wasn't–

This wasn't real. This _couldn't_ be real. This had to be some sort of sadistic nightmare. Any moment now a hand would grab my shoulder and shake me back into wakefulness. I would open my eyes and see Remus leaning over me, face gentle and concerned. He would ask me if I was all right and I would say that I was and thank him for waking me. Smiling, he would return to his bed and I would fall asleep again, knowing that everything was all right.

However, looking into Remus' tortured and fearful eyes, I knew the truth. This wasn't a nightmare. This was very real.

* * *

Sorry that the prologue is so short. The story has seven parts (not including the prologue) and the other parts are all much longer. Anyway, I hope you like it so far.  



	2. Part One

Hi everyone! I just wanted to thank those of you who read the (very short) prologue and commented. I always love getting reviews and knowing that people are reading/enjoying my stories. Thanks! I hope you like this next part too! (BTW - this story was written _before_ the HBP came out so if there are things that contradict that book, that's why.)

**

Part One 

****One month earlier:**

**Sirius:**

Wearily, I strolled into the dormitory I shared with my three best friends. My Potions exam had been grueling. It was as if the fumes from all the different concoctions we had prepared had sucked all the energy from me. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the full moon tonight. I didn't even want to think about getting through my classes tomorrow.

I glanced around the quiet room. James and Peter were in the library, studying, but Remus was sitting on his bed. I was about to greet him when I noticed that he was holding something to his lips. It was mostly concealed by his hand but it looked like some sort of flask. Judging by the expression that contorted his face, whatever he was drinking tasted vile.

"What's that?" I asked when Remus set the now empty jar behind him on the bed.

If Remus was surprised by my presence, it didn't show. "Perhaps the worst-tasting brew to ever be created," he smiled.

It was an evasion. He didn't want to answer so he called upon an irrelevant response in hopes that it would satisfy me. Or, if nothing else, that I would simply let the matter drop. Normally, I would have. Remus was a private person and I understood that there were many things he didn't share with me even though we were very close friends. A twisting in my gut prevented me from doing that now.

If the potion had been given to him by Madam Pomfrey to cure some injury or sickness, he would have told me. If it was part of some assignment for one of the classes we didn't share, he would have told me. His avoiding an honest answer could only mean one thing.

I crossed the room in two strides and reached around him to pick up the flask. A black sticker ran down its length. It was labeled with only one word: werewolf.

Worried and annoyed, I met Remus' cool gaze. He had shifted on his bed so that he could lean back against the wall. His pose was deceptively relaxed; I could see the slight tension that wracked his frame. Being considerably less impulsive than me, he didn't rush to take the small container back or chastise me for having invaded his privacy. He simply held out his hand.

Sighing, I returned the jar. "Tell me this isn't what I think it is." I demanded, sounding angrier than I intended.

Remus didn't respond, not verbally anyway. His eyes shifting downward was answer enough.

Was he trying to get himself killed? "Damn it, Remus!" I exclaimed sharply, "Don't you remember what happened the last time you took a potion that was supposed to counteract the madness of the wolf?"

"_Of course I remember_," he spoke with deliberate slowness, emphasizing each word.

"Then why are you taking this?" I gestured towards the flask in his hand. Why was he doing something so reckless? _I_ was the one who was supposed to do brash, idiotic things. Remus was the calm, rational one. He was the one who always thought everything through and never took any unnecessary risks.

His eyes fluttered shut briefly. "You've been there for almost every full moon for nearly seven years, Sirius. You know why."

"Remus, I realize that it's hard and painful but _this_ isn't the answer. It's _foolish_ to take a potion that is supposed to help you but has never actually been tested on werewolves before. You have _no idea_ what it could do to you!"

"I see. And you're obviously an expert on doing the logical, safe thing," he replied, a hint of cynicism creeping into his tone.

"That's the point!" He was infuriating. "Doesn't it mean something if even _I_ think it's reckless?" He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep risking his life on the hope that an experimental potion _might_ lessen the pain or lunacy of his transformations, not when the consequences could be so destructive.

"All right!" he snapped, surprising me with his sudden outburst. Taking a deep breath, he collected himself and proceeded more sedately. "All right. It's…not exactly the soundest or most intelligent thing to do but…Sirius, I have to. Having you and the others there is… I can't even describe how much it's helped me, how much _you've_ helped me. But…" he shook his head, "it still hurts so much and it's still so difficult. I just…want it to stop."

I settled myself across from Remus on the bed. "I understand that you're desperate, Remus," I softened my tone to a whisper, "but you can't keep putting yourself in jeopardy like this. Last time–" I swallowed. "Last time you drank a potion your transformation into Moony took nearly _forty minutes_. You were screaming the entire time." I shuddered at the memory. "I-I've never seen you in such pain. Then–" my throat tightened and my voice wavered.

"Sirius–"

"Then you just lay there, curled into a tight ball, the _entire night_. When you changed back you practically went into convulsions. Your skin was clammy and burning. I thought – I thought you were going to…" –die. I had thought he was going to _die_. As James and Peter had helplessly looked on, I had drawn his head into my lap and tried to rouse him. He had grabbed my wrist and choked out my name before losing consciousness. Madam Pomfrey had kept him in the hospital wing for three days while he recuperated.

I felt a hand on my arm. "Sirius, look at me."

Reluctantly, I raised my gaze and met his expressive emerald eyes. They were filled with understanding, gratitude, annoyance, and an abundance of emotions I couldn't put a name to.

"I'm sorry that I worried you. I'm _sorry_. I just–" he bit his lip, "I can't read about these potions in the paper without testing them. Because…what if one of them actually works?"

"And what if one of them actually _kills you_?" I countered.

Remus didn't have an answer for that. At least, not one he cared to share. Instead, he just silently stared at me, conviction and stubbornness blazing in his eyes. I wasn't going to talk him out of this. Not now, not ever. His mind was set and there was no reasoning with him.

It just filled me with such anxiety. Not having any idea how he would react to the potion was frightening. I didn't want anything to happen to him. "You must promise me one thing," I entreated. "Next time you take one of these potions…tell me. Last time, part of what made it so horrible was the fact that we didn't have any idea why you were–"

"I promise," he interrupted me, tightening his hold on my forearm for a second.

"Thanks," I paused, floundering for something to say. "Where did you get the potion?"

He lowered his hand. "The only place I could afford it."

Frustration surged within me once more. That meant he had gone to the cheap side of Knockturn Alley. No wonder he hadn't joined James, Peter, and I at Hogsmeade last weekend. "If you're going to buy these potions you at least need to be sure they're made properly," I seethed between gritted teeth.

He didn't respond. It went without saying that he didn't have the kind of money that took. His family was quite poor and, for obvious reasons, he had had trouble finding a summer job.

"If you had _asked_ me I would have given you the money." I had saved up quite a bit from my last employment.

"I know," he assured me, "but I don't want your charity."

Damn it. Why did he have to be so stubborn? I was trying to help him. "I don't care if you want it!" I exploded, startling the both of us. "You'll take the money anyway. If you insist on using these potentially unsafe potions then I'm going to insist that you buy them at reputable stores."

Remus opened his mouth, clearly intent on arguing, but I cut him off. "This is not up for debate," I stated firmly, getting up and quickly leaving the room. I needed some air before Remus came at me with his rebuttal. I needed some air before I was forced to watch the effects that potion would have on his transformations. I was too worried and annoyed to wait inside. What if it was worse than last time? What if it really did kill him?

* * *

Sighing deeply, I jogged away from the Forbidden Forest. Usually, _strangely_, standing at its edge and staring into the darkened mass of gnarled trees soothed me. Tonight it did nothing. I was just as apprehensive going into this full moon as I had been leaving the dormitory an hour earlier. My worry for Remus' wellbeing was not easy to forget or push out of mind and thought. 

"Sirius! Wait up!" Coming to an unwilling stop, I turned to see Jeremy running towards me. He seemed to have come from out of the Forbidden Forest; perhaps he was returning from an errand for Hagrid.

Jeremy Mikkena had recently arrived from America. He was a Squib that had been born into a very…prosperous and proud family. They, like my own _delightful_ parents, were great supporters of the belief that only pure-bloods should be allowed to practice magic. According to Jeremy, they had been shamed to have such a 'defective' son and had effectively disowned him. Having very little money he had worked his way to England in hopes of 'starting a new life', as he put it. As fate would have it, he had chanced to run into Dumbledore who had offered him a position at Hogwarts.

Jeremy grinned as he caught up with me. "You're troubled again," he noted, forgoing a greeting, as usual.

I smiled faintly. "And you, _shockingly_, are not." It was one of the things that had first drawn me to Jeremy. Honestly, he was a rather homely looking young man. He had short black hair, small brown eyes, and a thin, drawn face. Faint scars ran down both his cheeks, a permanent testament to the brutality of his father. He was, however, always _smiling_, always happy. No matter what obstacles life directed his way he accepted them _cheerfully_ and without complaint. It was refreshing to meet someone who simply took things as they came and made the best of them.

"Life's too short to spend it brooding," he reminded me, eyes bright. "What's wrong this time?"

I waved a dismissive hand, trying to pretend it was a minor irritation. "I'm just worried about a friend."

"Hmm. Remus?" he surmised.

I frowned. That was eerie. "How did you know?"

"Well, James has been insanely happy ever since he got together with Lily. I can't see why you'd be worried about him," he shrugged. "Remus is your closest friend after James, I'd say."

How perceptive. "He's just doing something I'd rather he not," I explained vaguely. I was glad that Jeremy and I were friends but I wasn't about to elaborate regarding Remus.

He nodded. "Hopefully everything works out there." Wonderful, he wasn't going to probe. "I'd better get going now. There's a lot I need to get done for Dumbledore tonight. He needs this…mushroom pileus…_thing_ jarred so that I can send it to someone in New Zealand the day after tomorrow. Any idea what it is?"

I smiled. "We use it certain potions. You'll be at the Quidditch game tomorrow, right?" I had invited Jeremy to sit with Remus, Peter, and I. He had very few friends and I thought they'd take well to him.

"Wouldn't miss it," he promised. "I'll see you then." Having said that, he turned and ran towards his hut, which was near the forest.

"Bye!" I called after him. Looking up at the sky I realized I needed to be going as well. Moonrise was in less than ten minutes and I had to meet James and Peter in the dormitory so that we could sneak out to the Whomping Willow under the Invisibility Cloak.

Turning, I sprinted towards the castle.

* * *

"What do you suppose is wrong with him?" James asked. 

Placing my hand on Remus' heaving chest I stayed close as he was overcome by another fit of violent coughing. "He took another potion today," I explained to Prongs and Wormtail, smoothing back my shaking friend's tangled and sweat dampened hair.

I should have known that my relief had hit too soon. Remus' transformation had passed without incident; it had been no more painful or horrific than usual. As a wolf he had behaved no differently than I had come to expect over the last seven years. With moonset approaching fast, we had returned to the shack and I had allowed myself to think that we had gotten lucky and that the potion had had absolutely no effect on Remus whatsoever. It wasn't until his body had twisted itself back into human form that I realized something was wrong.

Instead of falling into a quiet daze as he usually did post-transformation, he had started wheezing frantically for breath. Then tremors had seized his body as he coughed and tried to curl into himself. Every so often he would quiet down but just when I thought the sickness had passed he'd start up again.

"Remus," I murmured just to ensure he knew I was here. I wasn't certain he had heard me, though. His face was red and his eyelids were quivering but never quite shutting entirely. Darting frantically about without settling on anything, his pupils were glazed and abnormally dilated. I could barely see a sliver of emerald green surrounding them.

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. He would be fine. This wasn't nearly as bad as the result of the last potion. He wasn't screaming or convulsing. Soon, this fit would pass and he would be _fine_. Maybe he'd even recover normally and be able to go to the Quidditch match with us. If he didn't, maybe he'd be well enough for me to stay in the dormitory with him and-

"S-Siri…?" he tried to gasp my name but was cut short by a ragged cough. Suddenly, he groaned and rolled away from me. Using unsteady hands to lift himself slightly he sputtered and vomited onto the already filthy floor.

My friend sagged back down. Scooting forward, I settled my hand on his shoulder. His breathing had evened out and he wasn't shaking anymore. A hint of healthy color was livening his cheeks and he had even closed his eyes.

I felt my heartbeat return to normal, or at the very least, stop pounding. He _was_ going to be all right. _Until the next time he reads about a new potion that he has to 'test'_, a voice inside my head reminded me.

I shook away that nagging concern and instead asked, "How are you doing?"

A hint of a smile teased the corners of his lips. "Better now," he croaked faintly. "I suppose I have an 'I told you so' coming."

Frowning, I shook my head. "No. Of course not. You know I want–"

"Do you guys hear that?" Peter interrupted suddenly.

I fell silent and cocked my head to the side. There were several sets of loud footfalls approaching and…voices. I couldn't make out any words but they sounded agitated. "Something's wrong," I muttered, feeling a pulse of uneasiness clench my chest. I turned towards James and Peter, who were hovering behind me. "Get under the cloak. Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore still don't know about you. No one should see you here."

James nodded and picked up the Invisibility Cloak. Fortunately, he had already retrieved it from the cupboard. Peter stepped close to him and, sharing a worried look with me, my best mate spread the silvery material over the both of them and vanished from my sight. Moments later, a tumult burst through the opening that led to the Whomping Willow in the form of at least seven witches and wizards, a very frantic Madam Pomfrey, and a troubled Dumbledore.

One of the wizards, flanked by two others, approached Remus and I. He was an elderly man with graying shoulder-length black hair and piercing blue eyes. My stomach flipped unsettlingly when I recognized him. Barrington Vladimir Beechcroft. The Minister of Magic. What was he doing here? He wouldn't have come unless something was seriously wrong.

Automatically, I positioned myself in front of my friend. Remus was strong, stronger than James and I sometimes gave him credit for. He was, however, unarguably at his most vulnerable directly after a transformation. I wouldn't let them overwhelm him.

Seeking reassurance, I glanced at the Headmaster. I couldn't catch his eye, though. His gaze kept flickering back and forth between Remus and the Minister, seeming to grow more somber with the passing of every moment. I swallowed, my apprehension mounting. I had never seen him this grave before. Not even when I had explained why I had told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow.

"Remus J. Lupin?" the Minister looked past me as if I wasn't even there. I didn't like the disdainful glimmer in his eyes or the contempt in his voice. He was behaving as if it was repulsive to merely be in the same room as my friend.

"Yes," Remus replied, sounding remarkably collected.

"Registered werewolf since the age of five?" his eyes narrowed.

"Yes." I felt him inch closer to me, no doubt in an unwitting search for support.

Beechcroft smirked. "You're under arrest for the murder of Evelyn Milay. You are to accompany us to the Werewolf Confinement Center at the Ministry of Magic. If you resist we will use any amount of force necessary to subdue you."

Remus remained completely silent and motionless behind me but I was unable to contain a startled gasp. Murder? Evelyn? _Remus_? The words swarmed my thoughts before settling into a concept that I could grasp. Even then, even with the _Minister of Magic_ standing no more than five feet away from me, I wanted to disbelieve what was happening. They were _arresting Remus for murder_? This had to be someone's idea of a twisted joke. And 'any amount of force necessary to subdue' him? An image flashed in my mind, an image of Remus on the floor, clutching his stomach as he was pounded into unconsciousness.

Feeling as if I would be violently ill, I swallowed past the dryness of my throat.

Wait. Dumbledore was speaking. What was he saying? "...have no evidence that proves he is connected to this tragedy. You–"

"He is a werewolf!" the Minister yelled without even glancing at the Headmaster, "that is all the evidence we need. Get up," he ordered Remus in an unpitying tone.

"I'll have to check him over first," Madam Pomfrey protested shrilly, "he might need–"

"You will do no such thing. _Get up_," he repeated coldly.

Such hate. They were treating him with such hate. It was one thing to know that the law had very little regard for people with his condition. It was quite another to witness it. Dazedly, I climbed to my feet and turned around. Remus was lying on the floor staring at the Minister and the witches and wizards that flanked him. His eyes were wide and his face was pale. He was frightened.

Mustering a reassuring smile, I extended my hand. When Remus gripped it tightly, I helped him stand. "His clothes are in the cupboard," I said, squeezing his fingers for a moment before releasing him. "I'll get them."

"He's a _werewolf_. He doesn't need them," was the sneering response.

Spinning to face him, I was quick to defend my fellow Marauder. "Remus is my _friend_, he's not–"

"Sirius," I was stopped by both Dumbledore and Remus uttering my name in a warning tone. "Do not concern yourself," the professor continued, "I will accompany Remus and these…gentlemen – and women – to ensure that your friend is _not harmed_." He watched the Minister avidly as he said the last two words.

Disconcertingly, Beechcroft's smirk returned.

I wanted to throttle him for treating Remus as if he had already been convicted of this _murder_. God, he was treating him even worse than that! Even convicted felons were shown more respect than this! Remus was not a monster! He was not some mindless demon who was going to devour the wizarding world in its sleep.

I held my tongue and glared balefully at the Minister. It was safe to assume that at that moment I felt as much hatred for him as he did for my friend.

"Seize him," the Minster ordered with a flick of his hand.

Two of the wizards immediately stepped forward and approached Remus, one on either side. One of them roughly grabbed my friend's arms and yanked them behind his back as the other pulled out his wand and muttered a charm that would keep Remus' wrists bound together.

Then they pushed him with such force that Remus had to stumble forward a couple of steps to prevent himself from falling. Two witches separated themselves from the rest and hastened to walk in front of my friend as he silently and calmly approached the exit of the shack. Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, and the Minister of Magic and his remaining wizards followed.

Helplessly, I watched them lead my naked and restrained friend away.


	3. Part Two

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, they make my day. They'll especially make me feel better today and tomorrow as I contemplate the beginning of a new semester. (Help!) I hope you enjoy this next part and I hope this update came soon enough, _jojo_.

**Part Two **

**Sirius:**

The footsteps and hushed murmurings faded into silence. They were gone. I stared at the vacant spot where Remus had been lying only minutes earlier, my eyes focusing on the pinkish vomit. It seemed almost abstract, like something from another lifetime…

I most likely would have stayed like that, gazing unblinkingly into space, for an indefinite amount of time if it hadn't been for James. "Sirius," he said.

I forced my eyes to follow the sound of his voice. He and Peter were standing in the far corner of the room, no doubt having moved there to avoid being run into and discovered. They both looked as confused and shaken as I felt.

"What, exactly, was all that about?" he asked as he folded up his Invisibility Cloak.

I scoffed. "Am I supposed to know?"

"Remus is closer to you than he is to anyone," Peter pointed out the obvious. "He would have told you if he'd–"

"If he'd _what_?" I snapped, venting my maelstrom of emotions on the first available victim. "_Murdered_ someone? Remus did not do this – whatever happened, it wasn't him!"

"–if he'd known he was in trouble," Peter finished, sounding defiant and looking to James for support.

"I think that Remus was just as surprised as we were," James interjected smoothly. "We're not going to figure out anything by staying here. Let's get back to the common room. In the morning, when people start waking up, we'll see if anyone knows what happened to Evelyn."

"Yeah," I agreed moodily, almost not wanting to learn what had occurred while we were off gallivanting through the Forbidden Forest.. Why did they suspect Remus? Was it simply because he was a werewolf? "Let's go."

* * *

"I can't believe that _no one_ has heard _anything_!" I wearily allowed myself to fall onto my bed. An announcement had been made early this morning that had sent all sorts of rumors flying back and forth. The common room was abuzz with speculation as to why all students were confined to their house dormitories and why Quidditch had been canceled but there was no talk of Evelyn being murdered. Apparently, whatever had happened was being kept very quiet. 

"Lily doesn't even know about Evelyn. Do you reckon I should tell her?" James asked, leaning back against his dresser.

Evelyn was a seventh year in Hufflepuff. She was also Lily's best friend. "Not until we know exactly what happened. Besides, she'll want to know how you know that Evelyn's dead. What are you going to tell her? That you overheard it while hiding under an Invisibility Cloak so that the Minister of Magic wouldn't see you as he arrested Remus?"

James shrugged. "I need to tell her something. Sooner or later she's bound to notice that Evelyn's missing."

Honestly, what did it matter? Remus had been _arrested_ and my imagination was all too eager to provide images of what the Ministry might be doing to him. There were very few laws protecting werewolves. A simple interrogation could easily turn into something else if the people asking the questions were ignorant bigots. I sighed. There were very few people who _weren't_ ignorant bigots when it came to accepting werewolves. It was more important to discover _why_ they thought Remus had killed Evelyn than to explain said murder to Lily.

"Does the Ministry of Magic have some sort of screwed up policy of arresting every local registered werewolf every time there's a crime?" Peter asked.

"No," I answered immediately. "Even they aren't that prejudiced. They only do that if–" Oh my God. I was an idiot for not having thought of it before. The only reason they'd arrest Remus for a murder they didn't have proof he had committed was if that 'murder' had been the result of a werewolf attack. "Evelyn wasn't _murdered_!" I exclaimed.

"Did I miss the news bulletin that just announced that?" James asked skeptically.

Shaking my head, I stood up and began pacing back and forth. "She was killed by a werewolf. Think about it. Whenever an unidentified werewolf commits any sort of crime, _all_ werewolves in the area are arrested until they discover who the perpetrator is. Evelyn no doubt was killed somewhere near the castle. Remus is a registered werewolf – probably the only one at or near Hogwarts – so they automatically took him into custody."

Before either of them could answer, Professor McGonagall's voice resounded throughout the dormitory. "All classes for the remainder of the week have been _canceled_. Students are to remain in their house dormitories at all times except for when meals are served in the Great Hall. Thank you."

"Well. This is shaping up to be quite a day. Evelyn's dead. Remus' been arrested. And classes have been canceled," James said, voice tired. In the seven years we had been here they had _never_ canceled classes. Of course, in the seven years we had been here no one had ever been killed either.

If Evelyn really had been killed by a werewolf then we needn't worry about Remus. We had been with him all night. He hadn't killed anyone. He'd tell them as much when they gave him Veritaserum.

It certainly sounded reasonable in my head.

My eyes drifted to Remus' empty bed. Something told me it wasn't going to be that simple. How could it be? Nothing regarding the Ministry and werewolves was reasonable. We were dealing with the same organization that would perform a _Dementor's Kiss_ on a werewolf that converted another person. Did I honestly expect them to treat him at all fairly?

"James," I spun to face him, "What are we going to do?"

He frowned. "Do? There's nothing we _can_ do, Sirius. Except wait."

Wait? He expected me to wait? Remus was in prison and he expected me to wait. I wasn't going to _wait_ to be told what had happened last night. James and Peter could do that if they wanted to. I wasn't going to _wait_ and see what the Ministry did with Moony.

Letting out a choked cry of frustration, I hit the mattress with my fist. While I had many skills, waiting wasn't among them. That was why, when James snuck off to find Lily, and Peter disappeared to keep an eye on what was being said in the common room, I determined to figure out everything I could about Evelyn's death. Grabbing my best friend's Invisibility Cloak and snagging the Marauder's Map, I used one of the many secret passages we had discovered to leave the dormitory unnoticed.

* * *

I suppressed a sigh. Dumbledore was pacing. Again. He had arrived in his office over a half hour earlier. Instead of calling in Professor McGonagall to discuss the situation he had passed the time by intermittently sitting next to the fire or walking back and forth in front of it. This was pointless! I had thought – obviously mistakenly – that if I trailed the Headmaster I would learn something important. Instead, he had returned to Hogwarts only to shut himself in here to…_contemplate_. 

Dumbledore came to a stop and slowly turned away from the fire. He was gazing in my direction, towards the… Wait. Was he looking directly _at me_? I tensed, almost imperceptibly. It was unsettling to have his avid blue eyes fixed on me from behind his half moon spectacles. It was almost as if he could _see_ me.

An amused sort of smile fluttered across his lips. Then he turned away and I relaxed slightly, feeling foolish. _Of course_ he couldn't see me. An Invisibility Cloak would hardly be useful if you were still _visible_ and I hadn't made so much as a whisper since following him in here.

"Evelyn Milay's body was found by Hagrid just outside the Forbidden Forest," he announced as he reclined in the armchair by the fire. "It was shortly after moonrise. Hagrid, of course, immediately brought it to my attention. Upon determining that she was killed by a werewolf I contacted the Ministry of Magic."

My eyes swept over the room. There was no one else here. Who was he talking to? He had always seemed a bit…_mad_ but this was rather peculiar, even for him.

"A team of investigators – led by the Minister of Magic, no less – was sent to confirm my findings," he continued as if he frequently had conversations with no one. "Which they did, of course. Having already come prepared with a list of all registered werewolves in the vicinity, they demanded to know where Remus was confined during the full moons. He, as you might suspect, is the _only_ registered werewolf for this area."

'_As you might suspect'_. As _who_ might suspect? He wasn't…talking to _me_, was he? He _had_ seemed to be watching me, though. And that smile, just before he had sat down and begun telling me exactly what I wanted to know… He _could_ see me. He _was_ talking to me.

Idly, I wondered if I should remove the Invisibility Cloak. It seemed a rather pointless endeavor, after all.

"Despite my attempts to convince them to wait until after moonset, they insisted on entering the Shrieking Shack and taking Remus into custody as quickly as possible." It was strange for Dumbledore to be speaking into the fire. One might have thought he was talking to _it_. "Surprisingly, Remus was not there." Of _course_ Remus hadn't been there. He'd been with us. They didn't know that though and it was a pretty damning piece of evidence against him. "This, in the mind of the Minister, ceiled the case. Obviously – at least it seemed obvious to him – Remus had found some way to escape and had come across the unfortunate Ms. Milay."

"More investigators were immediately called over from the Ministry to begin an extensive search of Hogwarts. It was just after moonset when one of them noticed that the Whomping Willow's branches were immobilized. This prompted us to renter the Shrieking Shack to see if, by some miraculous chance, Remus had returned. Which," he paused, "he had."

Oh no! Peter! Peter had scurried to the trunk of the Whomping Willow and pressed the notch that froze its deadly branches. Obviously, he had forgotten to press it again after we had all entered the secret passageway.

"I needn't explain what occurred once Remus was located." No, of course not. I very clearly remembered his humiliating arrest. "Once Remus was secured in the Werewolf Confinement Center at the Ministry, I convinced the Minister to give him Veritaserum, which is not normally used in these cases. Unfortunately, Remus' responses did not clear him."

What? Remus couldn't have killed Evelyn! James, Peter, and I had been with him throughout the _entire night_, if he had attacked someone we would have noticed!

"However, they did not condemn him either," Dumbledore added after a beat of silence.

What was _that_ supposed to mean? Remus had either killed her or he hadn't. What could he have possibly said under the influence of Veritaserum that would prove neither his innocence nor his guilt?

"Since his responses were no less than ambiguous, I convinced the Minister to investigate the possibility of having captured the wrong werewolf. I was about to argue that Remus be released until his guilt could be ascertained when the Minister was called away on urgent business to Romania."

Professor Dumbledore abruptly rose to his feet. Briskly, he walked across the room. "I was assured he would return this afternoon. At that time, I will insist that Remus be released to Hogwarts. If someone – say a friend of his – would like to accompany me, he should know that werewolves in custody are allowed one visitor daily. He should also be aware that the Ministry will not have clothed or fed Remus." Having said this, Dumbledore promptly left his office, whistling as he went.

* * *

When I returned to the dormitory, via a secret passage, James and Peter were not there. According to the map, they were in the common room with Lily and about half of the Gryffindor house. I set the food I had snagged for Remus on my bed. Then I grabbed him a change of clothes and put those on my bed as well. 

What else would he want? Oh yes, of course. I approached Remus' nightstand, pulled out my wand and cast a small revealing charm. As I had suspected, my friend's journal appeared. I was about to add that to the things I was going to bring him when I thought better of it. What if the guards took it from him? What if they humiliated him by reading it aloud? Better to simply give him some parchment and a self-inking quill. He could copy whatever he wrote into his journal later.

Setting the journal back where it had been I re-cast Remus' concealing charm.

What else? He'd be able to change, eat, and write if he wanted to. My eyes fell to the book that Remus had left on his pillow. I smiled when I saw what it was. _The Hobbit_. Knowing that my friend had greatly enjoyed _the Lord of the Rings_ series, I had given him its prequel for his birthday, as well as a new set of the trilogy because his copies belonged to his parents and were falling apart. He had been delighted as well as surprised that I had remembered his love for Muggle fantasy.

I placed the book on top of his clothes. Then I carefully packed everything I was taking to Remus inside a daypack. The Ministry no doubt had strict policies regarding what visitors could and couldn't give to confined werewolves. Deciding that it was better to not take any chances, I cast a word-activated concealing charm on the pack. 'Padfoot' would trigger its invisibility and 'Moony' would make it visible again. That way Remus would be able to keep it hidden from the guards.

I sighed.

It was the day after the full moon. Instead of resting or at the most, attending classes, he was in prison. With any luck, Dumbledore would get Remus released into his custody. What about the murder charges, though? If Remus couldn't clear himself with Veritaserum then how else would he be proven innocent? I'd gladly testify on his behalf but what could I say that he probably hadn't already? Madness or no, he could remember the full moon as clearly as I did – if he wanted to.

I sighed again. Midday meal would be served soon. I wasn't hungry. Or rather, I was hungry but didn't feel like eating.

Getting up, I spread the Invisibility Cloak around myself. I needed to go for a walk.

* * *

Without meaning to, I found myself in exactly the same spot I had been standing just before moonrise. Like then, it did nothing to erase my worries. If Remus was found guilty, he'd be _executed_. He wouldn't even get a trial. He'd– 

I was relieved when the sound of a door slamming interrupted my thoughts. Looking down the long line of trees towards Jeremy's hut, I saw my friend making his way to the castle. He didn't seem very animated, though. Usually, he went about his everyday duties as if he had a boundless supply of energy. He was always cheerfully running or jogging his way around Hogwarts. For the first time since I'd met him, he seemed troubled and weary.

Realizing that a distraction from worrying about Remus would be a good thing, I decided to figure out what was bothering my American friend. "Jeremy!" I shouted.

Jeremy came to a halfhearted stop and turned around.

Trying to appear unperturbed, I smiled and waved.

A confused frown wrinkled Jeremy's forehead. Shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, he continued on his way.

That was odd. He acted like he didn't even see me! Groaning, I very nearly slapped my forehead. That was because he _couldn't_ see me. I was still wearing the _Invisibility Cloak_. "Brilliant, Padfoot, simply brilliant," I mumbled disparagingly. "Poor fellow probably thinks he's losing his mind."

Silently, I debated whether to remove the cloak and catch up with him. It most likely _wouldn't_ be a good idea. If a professor saw me out here I'd be in trouble. Normally, that wouldn't concern me but the last thing I needed was to _not_ be able to go with Dumbledore to the Ministry because I was stuck in detention with McGonagall.

Speaking of which, it was well past midday and Dumbledore had said he'd return to the Ministry in the afternoon. I needed to be in the dormitory when the Headmaster came looking for me. He was, after all, doing me a favor by allowing me to go with him to see Remus.

* * *

Werewolf Registration and the Werewolf Confinement Center, as it turned out, were _not_ on the same floor. The latter was located _underground_ on the lowermost floor of the Ministry of Magic. One couldn't even arrive there by using a lift. After passing through security and registering my wand, Dumbledore had directed me to a rather obscure and well-hidden staircase and instructed me to follow it all the way down. He had then excused himself to go speak with the Minister. 

After descending an interminable number of steps, I had arrived in a small lobby. Near the entrance was a sign that read: _WEREWOLF Confinement Center_. Curiously, I noted that there weren't any doors in the lobby, except for the one I had just entered through. Where, exactly, was the prison?

On the opposite end of the room was a small desk. Sitting in it was a man who appeared to be thoroughly immersed in a book. He was young – probably no older than twenty-five – and very thin. He had buzzed brown hair and large _yellow_ eyes that reminded me of those of a cat, of a _predator_. I didn't know why – he hadn't even said anything – but I automatically took a disliking to him.

"Excuse me," I addressed him as I approached the desk, "I'm here to see Remus J. Lupin."

"What?" the young man drawled without setting his book aside or even looking up.

"Remus. J. Lupin," I repeated very slowly through gritted teeth.

"What's his registration number?" he asked, sounding bored and completely uninterested in helping me.

Registration number? As in, _werewolf_ registration number? How was I to know? It wasn't as if, on the train to Hogwarts, Remus had introduced himself with: 'Hello, I'm Remus Lupin. I'm a registered werewolf. In case you should ever need to visit me in the Confinement Center, my registration number is 1785-99.'

"I don't know," I said, wanting to seize the man's book and throw it across the room.

"I'm not given any of their names. Only their numbers," he stated as he flipped a page.

This man was infuriating. How could he not have their names? Even animals in zoos had names! Thunderscales – the famous one-winged dragon – was never referred to as Norwegian Ridgeback 784!

"He was brought in early this morning by–" I stopped short when I realized he was gleefully _ignoring me_. Leaning over the desk, I grabbed the book from his hands, shut it, and slammed it down hard. "_Listen to me_," I grated at the startled wizard, "I'm here to visit the werewolf that was arrested _this_ _morning_ and you _will_ take me to him even if I have to hex you."

"All right, all right," he held up his hands and climbed to his feet, "No need to get ugly. I'll let you see your murdering friend. First…"

This was unbelievable! Were Dumbledore and my friends the only wizards alive that had any sense at all? "He is _not_ a murderer," I interrupted icily.

He gave me a strange look but decided to let my comment pass. "_First_, you must sign in here," he indicated a piece of parchment that had been stuck on my end of the desk. Bending over slightly, I saw that I was expected to print and sign my name, indicate the time of my arrival and departure, and detail the nature of my visit.

After filling everything out, I looked up at the obnoxious wizard expectantly.

He grinned falsely, sending a chill down my spine. He wasn't as inept as he led on. A gleam in his eyes told me he was really quite alert and calculating. "You must also check your wand. You may recollect it on your way out."

Reluctantly, I parted with my wand. The man took it and placed it inside one the desk's many drawers. Then he turned around and approached the wall directly behind his desk. Taking out his own wand, he tapped the wall several times in what seemed to be entirely random places. He murmured a few words that I couldn't make out and tapped the wall a few more times.

There was no gradual shifting or fading of concrete beams. The wall was entirely solid and then, suddenly, it wasn't. Instead, a door had appeared. On the door, in glowing red letters, it read: Werewolf Confinement Center Cells 01-50.

Lowering his hand, he opened the door. As he entered, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Well don't just stand there, come on!"

Sighing in irritation, I walked around his desk and followed him through the door, which disappeared behind us, leaving only a wall.

Before I could even take in my surroundings, I was struck by a fowl, pungent odor that nearly made me gag. It smelled like…shit. Like a centuries old bathroom where the toilets didn't flush, one that had never been cleaned. It was nauseating. The stench was so strong that it made my eyes sting as I tried not to choke.

By the time I got used to the odor, my head was throbbing.

Too revolted to form coherent thoughts, I examined the _Confinement Center_. We were standing on one end of a long, narrow passage that had a row of cells on either side. From where we were I could only see into the first couple of them. Each one appeared to be no bigger than a twin size bed and contained nothing on which the prisoners could sit or sleep. Just a floor. And a medium-sized bucket. I felt like throwing up when I realized what it was for.

No wonder it stank.

It was filthy. _Everything_ was filthy. At some point the cells had probably been a sterile white. Now, they were stained in different shades of brown. Coagulated beads of moisture ran down the walls. In places, the paint was pealing. There were pools of dried blood on the floor and trails of crimson on the lower half of the walls, as well as what looked like claw marks.

They had to endure transformations in here. In a _room_ that wasn't a sixth of the size of the Shrieking Shack. Remus' full moons had been horrible when he was alone, confined in that wretched place. He had torn everything in it to shreds and had always turned on himself. For these werewolves, _confined_ here…it was unimaginable. In wolf form they'd hear each other's howls and practically kill themselves trying to get to one another.

The man was speaking and walking. He was already a good twenty feet in front of me by the time I realized. I forced myself to follow him, forced myself to move. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. I wanted to focus on him, wanted to focus on what he was saying, but I couldn't. I couldn't keep my eyes from examining the cell as we passed them.

Now, I was seeing what perhaps, before, my mind had kindly blocked out for me. The people. The poor people who were trapped here. _Were_ they people? I found myself wondering that in an entirely different manner than the rest of the wizarding world, which seemed to loathe werewolves. Were they _people_ or were they _ghosts_? They looked like ghosts. They looked like skeletons.

Some of them, the ones who had obviously been here less time, were skinny. The rest… The rest were _more_ than skinny. They were like an outline of bones with sunken flesh attached to it. Flesh that was riddled with old scars and fresher looking claw marks. Many of them had purplish bruises covering their stomachs and sides, or black eyes and split lips. As if… I swallowed. As if they had been beaten.

That wasn't the reason they looked like ghosts, though. They looked like ghosts because it seemed like there was no spirit left in them. It seemed like this place had sucked the life out of them. They had nothing left. Only despair. Their blank, wandering eyes didn't even posses the smallest glimmer of hope. They weren't people. They were the shell that was left once the soul was destroyed. The _broken_ shell.

Oh God. What was this? What was this place? Hell on earth. A Dementor short of Azkaban. This was more sickening than anything I had the capability to imagine. This was… I couldn't even describe the atrocity that this was. If I hadn't already known that werewolves were executed or given a Dementor's Kiss for killing or biting people, I wouldn't even have believed that this was real. I would have thought it was a nightmare the likes of which I had never before endured.

"Why – Why are they here?" someone asked, voice dry and strained. My voice, I realized dimly. My question. I had spoken without even being aware of it.

"They've been deemed a danger to society," he answered as casually as if he was discussing something as bland as the weather. "Personally, I think the whole lot of 'em should be here. Or, better yet, in Azkaban. Azkaban only gets the ones that have killed more than one person. The Dementors get the ones that have bitten people. We get the ones that have committed any other sort of crime. We also hold the murderers until they are executed, sent to prison, or soul-sucked."

My fists clenched until my blunt nails were digging into my palms. I wanted to pummel him. I wanted to throw him to the ground and just punch and kick him until he was a bloody mess. He was so narrow-minded. He was so intolerant. I wanted to hurt him so badly. _Don't. Don't do it_, I told myself. It was more important to visit Remus than it was to get myself kicked out of the Ministry for sending one of its employees to the hospital.

"How long do you hold them here?" I tried my best to keep the hate from marring my tone but it was still dangerously malevolent.

"Oh, just until they're too old and feeble to cause any damage." He sounded _regretful_, as if he thought they should be here _forever_.

I tried to sort it out in my mind. A werewolf was convicted of petty theft. Instead of getting the punishment any normal witch or wizard would receive, he'd be thrown in here for a good portion of his life. How grand. What was wrong with the Ministry of Magic? _They_ were the ones that deserved to be locked away like this, for enforcing such barbarism

"Do you ever–" I searched for the right words, "–clean them up?"

He shot me a look over his shoulder, eyes narrowed. "We hose them off every once in a while."

'_Hose_ _them off_?' Like dragons? Like animals?

I focused on the werewolves again. This time I noticed something I had missed before. There were no bars. There was nothing but air separating the cells from the passageway. What in the world was keeping these people imprisoned?

"Er…why aren't there any–"

"Energy fields," he interrupted me, as if he knew what I was going to ask and had been expecting it. "We use energy fields instead of bars. They zap anyone who touches them."

"Right!" I erupted bitterly, "So, on the full moons when they're in wolf form and are throwing themselves against walls and tearing themselves to pieces, they also get the added torment of a zapping energy field."

He looked back at me again, frowning. It was as if he couldn't believe I was outraged by this. "They're only werewolves," he reminded me.

I bit back my furious reply. _It's not worth it_, I told myself. _Just hold your tongue._

He came to a stop in front of me. "Here we are. Prisoner thirty-three."

Thirty-three? Was that all? It seemed as if we had been walking down this hallway for an endless period of time. It seemed as if we had passed hundreds of cells, not just over thirty.

I walked forward until I was standing in front of the same cell that this despicable man was peering into. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and shifted to look inside it.

There, huddled into a filthy corner, was Remus.


	4. Part Three

Well, it's been all of one week and I already had enough homework to spend all day Saturday working on it. Ah, the joys of being in college. Anyway, here's the next part. I'm thrilled that everyone's enjoying the story so far, I've loved reading your reviews. _Miki_, you sound like me. Sometimes I read/watch something and end up having a _really_ strange dream. When I went back and reread the entire HP series in preparation for the HBP, I had a series of _several_ weird ones. _Katharina-B_, James should behave better from now on. As for Peter...well, the reason he's barely in any of my stories is actually explained in one of my stories (which is all about Peter). I just haven't posted it yet. Oh, and _jojo, _you didn't annoy me. Leave as many reviews as you'd like, I certainly won't complain. BTW - just because I don't respond personally to your review doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. They make my day!

**

Part Three

**

**Sirius:**

Remus had taken what was his normal pre- and post-moon position. Sitting with his back against the wall, he was hugging his legs with the desperation of a man clinging to floating planks of wood while drowning. His chin was settled into the space between his knees. His eyes were open but unmoving, almost unblinking.

His gaze…his gaze made me want to cry. It wasn't distraught. It wasn't frightened. It was…dead. There was no discernable emotion there at all. It was as if he was just…there, as if he wasn't processing anything, as if he had shut himself off from his surroundings because it was simply easier than being aware of this wretched place.

He didn't even realize that I was here. He was staring right at me but he didn't even _see_ me.

I swallowed thickly. _Get a hold of yourself, Sirius_. I needed to be strong. I had no right to feel as if I was about to fall apart. This _Confinement Center_ was revolting but I was just _visiting_, Remus…Remus was _trapped_ here. I had to pull myself together and be here for him. He needed a friend. He needed me.

"Can I go in?" I asked weakly, noting that Remus didn't even move, didn't make any sign of having heard me. It didn't seem as if they had harmed him, though. There were just a few scratches from last night. That was something, at least.

"You can stay for a half hour," the man informed me. "Be ready to step inside as soon as I release the energy field," he said, raising his wand.

Of course they would have time limits on how long someone could spend visiting a werewolf. It wasn't as if they could show the simple decency of letting them have the comfort of their friends and family.

The wizard murmured a charm and flicked his wrist in a half-circle. There was a loud hum as a sort of electric flash shimmered across the opening of the cell. Tentatively, I stepped forward into the filthy abode. Behind me, I heard him mutter a few more words. The following buzz told me the energy field was in place again.

"I'll come get you when your time is up," he said.

I waited until his footsteps had faded into silence before I did anything. Crouching in front of Remus, I lightly touched one of his hands and smiled. "Remus," I whispered, "It's Sirius…I'm here to visit you."

My friend didn't shift. His eyes didn't move. He didn't speak. He remained exactly as he had been before.

Merlin, what had they done to him? "Dumbledore was kind enough to bring me to the Ministry. He's talking to the Minister about letting you come home to Hogwarts. With any luck, you'll be out of here by tonight."

Nothing. No reaction at all.

Fighting off the embarrassing urge to cry, I moved my hand so that it was resting against his head. Slowly, I caressed his hair. Not knowing what else to do, I continued talking. "I brought you some things. See…I cast this concealing charm on a daypack and walked in with it strapped around my shoulder…so that no one could see that I was carrying anything. I thought – I thought they were going to find it when we went through security but Dumbledore's a well-respected man so they didn't even search us. They just registered our wands."

I sighed wearily. Couldn't he just give _some_ indication that he was hearing me? It was as if he was in the trance that normally followed his transformations at moonset. "I brought you clothes and…and food. I think I remembered all your favorites… I have fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and mushrooms. I cast a warming charm on it so it'll be hot for you. There's strawberries too… I even grabbed about ten bars of chocolate. I know it's not as good as Honeydukes' but…" I trailed off into a defeated silence.

"Oh God, Remus…please say something," I pleaded, searching his face for some hint of recognition.

Finally, his eyes met mine. The dead look vanished and was replaced by one of utter helplessness. "I'm so glad you're here," he whispered so softly that it was almost as if I was reading his lips. "I – I'm sorry… I didn't mean to worry you. I don't know why I didn't…respond. I'm just trying to sort things out. I can't–" he shook his head, "I don't know–"

I frowned. I had never seen him at such a fumbling loss for words before. I was so often the one who wasn't able to accurately express myself. He always seemed to know how to string words together to say exactly what he meant. "It's all right," I stopped him before he could continue. "You don't have to explain."

He lips twitched. I suspected it was a failed attempt to smile. "I'm so glad you're here," he repeated earnestly.

I wasn't. I wanted to help Remus but I didn't want to be _here_. I never wanted to be here. I wished I had never had to see a place like this or know one existed.

"Can I have my clothes now?" he asked with the slightest hint of humor.

"Of course. Saying your nickname will reveal the pack, saying mine will make it invisible again," I explained. "That way you can hide everything so they don't take it from you."

He nodded. "Moony."

I looked down at my left side. The pack had become visible in response to Remus' use of the trigger word. Letting my hand fall from his hair, I shrugged the daypack off of my shoulder. Then I shifted back so that there was enough room to set it between us.

Opening the pack, I pulled out Remus' clothes and handed them to him. My friend shakily climbed to his feet and began dressing himself. As he did, I told him about the rest of the things I had brought him. "There's parchment and a self-inking quill…in case you want to write something. Also, there's _the Hobbit_, so that you can read."

A fully dressed Remus settled himself on the floor again. This time he sat cross-legged. "You're very thoughtful," he said by way of thanks. Reaching into the daypack, he pulled out the container of pasta. Then his hand delved back inside the pack again, fishing for something else. "Did you…er…bring silverware?" he asked after a few moments of fruitless searching.

The most likely horrified look that crossed my face must have provided him with his response. Before I could say anything, he briefly touched my shoulder. "Don't worry. I can eat with my hands."

Utensils. Of all the things to forget!

Remus opened the container and grabbed a mouthful of steaming fettuccine Alfredo. Bringing it up to his lips, he ate the noodles and sauce off of his fingers and then hurriedly delved back for more. Obviously, he was starved. Not wanting to slow him down, I let him eat in silence.

I couldn't help but notice how his hands shook.

I was worried about him. It wasn't because of how he had been behaving when I first entered, at least not entirely. After all, there were times when I didn't feel like speaking or having anything to do with anyone either. It was this place. It was the knowledge that he was being held for murder, the horrible fact that they would execute him if he was found guilty. It was seeing the hate in everyone's eyes. How was he coping with it all?

When he had devoured the entire meal, I asked, "How are you holding up?"

Remus paused in the licking of his fingers, eyes clouding. For the first time since the shack, I saw fear in them. He didn't respond until after he had finished lapping up the Alfredo sauce from his hands. "Not very well," he replied openly, honestly.

Feeling it best to let him continue without prompting, I waited.

"I need you to tell me something, Sirius," he turned very solemn eyes to me, "Did I kill Evelyn?"

_What?_ I cocked my head to the side. That I had not been expecting. "Don't you…remember?"

Remus bit his upper lip and shook his head. "All I remember from last night is waiting in the Shrieking Shack for my transformation to begin. Then, suddenly, I couldn't stop coughing and I threw up. Next thing I knew, I was being…arrested."

"But why?" I asked, trusting him to make sense of my question.

"The potion. It's my best guess."

The potion. I had forgotten about the damned bloody potion. That had to be it, though. Remus always remembered the full moons. He might try to suppress the memories but they were there nonetheless. The only thing that had been different about the last full moon was his taking that accursed potion. _Of course_ his getting sick after moonset couldn't miraculously be its only effect.

No wonder Remus hadn't been able to clear himself with the Veritaserum! He couldn't very well tell them he hadn't killed anyone if he himself didn't know.

"Sirius…I need to know," Remus pressed, studying me with an intense, questioning gaze. "Did I kill her?"

"No!" I responded immediately. "We were with you all night, you didn't kill anyone."

Remus continued to stare at me intently. "Are you certain?"

I scoffed. "Of course I'm certain! How could I not be? I think I would have noticed something like that." _'We were with you all night,'_ my own words echoed in my head, making my throat go dry with the realization that they weren't true. We _hadn't_ been with him all night. We had been with him _nearly_ all night.

In the excitement that followed moonset, I had forgotten. I had forgotten about the time Prongs, Wormtail, and I had spent searching for him in the Forbidden Forest because he had managed to get away from us. We had found him though. It had been a matter of minutes. Five, probably. Not nearly enough time for him to go to the edge of the trees, kill Evelyn, and return to the clearing where we had come across him. No, not nearly enough time. So it didn't matter. It didn't matter at all.

"No, Remus, you didn't kill her," I assured him, deciding it best not to mention the five minute gap. I didn't want him to have any doubt. Being in this place had to be torture in and of itself, I wouldn't allow him to keep questioning and doubting himself.

Remus smiled for the first time since I had entered his cell. When he spoke, relief clouded his voice and sparkled in his eyes. "I was so worried, Sirius. All my live I've been afraid of this…afraid that I would hurt someone, turn someone into a werewolf, or even kill someone.

"Then…this morning I was arrested and it terrified me because I _didn't know_. I didn't know whether I had done it or not. I've been in this cell… I spent all that time trying to _force_ myself to remember but there was nothing…just blackness," he paused and continued more softly, sadness marring his tone as reality intruded on his joy. "I was scared that the monster inside me had finally tasted human blood."

I reached forward to touch his shoulder but Remus captured my hand in his and held it tightly. "This place–" he choked, eyes fleeting about the barren cell, "I think it would kill me. I think that eventually…it'd kill me."

I rubbed my thumb over his clenched fingers. "Dumbledore will get you out of here soon, Remus," I promised, praying that it was true.

"What then?" he demanded. "They won't drop the charges unless they find another werewolf. Do you think they're even looking? I'll be found guilty, Sirius, and they'll–"

"No. No they won't," I interrupted, hating to see his control stripped away. "I'll testify for you, Remus. I'll go to Dumbledore and tell him to give me Veritaserum. I'll tell them that you didn't kill anyone."

"You'll can't," he shook his head. "You'll have to tell them about Padfoot. You, Prongs, and Wormtail will be expelled."

He was right. I hadn't even thought about it, but he was right. There was no way I could explain how I had been with Remus all night without revealing that James, Peter, and I were Animagi. "So we'll be expelled!" How could he even suggest that his life wasn't worth it? "I don't care, Remus. If it'll prevent them from executing you for murder, I don't care."

Remus smiled wanly. "I care. I'm sure that Prongs and Wormtail will too."

Was he daft? "Do you honestly hold us graduating from Hogwarts as being more important than saving your life? Do you honestly think that James and Peter won't feel the same why I do?"

"James will lose his dream of being an Auror. You won't be able to do any of the things you've considered doing after Hogwarts either. Eventually, you'd all grow to resent me."

"That's assuming that we even get expelled. Dumbledore might not–"

"It's illegal to become an Animagus while you're underage. It's also illegal to become one without registering with the Ministry of Magic. Not to mention that it's illegal to release a werewolf into a populated area. Dumbledore won't have a choice. No," he shook his head, "I won't let you do it."

He wouldn't _let_ me do it? "If it seems like they're going to convict you of murder then, I'm sorry Remus, you won't be able to stop me from doing it."

"Sirius, I don't want you to–"

"It's not your choice, Remus," I interrupted, voice quiet and firm. "It's mine."

I thought that he would continue arguing with me but when he opened his mouth all he said was, "Padfoot."

I frowned. I was about to question him when I heard them. Footsteps. That horrible man from the desk was coming to tell me I had to leave. Had it really been a half hour already? It didn't seem like it.

Remus released my hand and together, we stood up. Wanting to give him one last reassurance, I moved forward and hugged him. My friend immediately responded in kind, holding me close. "I'm glad you came, Sirius," he whispered against me.

"I won't go to Dumbledore unless I have to," I told him. "If – if for whatever reason, he can't get you out of here today, I'll come back and visit you tomorrow. Unless…unless you'd rather see James or Peter."

"Please come," he pulled back and smiled. "James and Peter are brilliant but…you're my best friend, Padfoot. You know that."

I nodded. Yes, I knew. "I wish…I wish I didn't have to leave you here."

Remus didn't respond. His eyes were distressed.

Giving his right shoulder a parting squeeze, I turned to face the disgusted looking man. Obviously, he couldn't grasp how someone could be friends with a werewolf. Shaking his head bemusedly, he released the energy field. When I stepped through, he raised it again. Then, without saying a single word, he led me out of the terrible Confinement Center.

* * *

James and Peter were waiting in the dormitory when I returned. They were sitting on their respective beds talking in quiet voices. Both turned to look at me when I entered. I could tell, by the disapproving downturn of his mouth, that my best friend was not happy. Tiredly, I wondered what I had missed. 

"They made an announcement while you were gone," Peter spoke with measured casualness. "McGonagall said that Evelyn Milay passed away last night and that funeral services would be held the day after tomorrow. No word on _how_ it happened. Made it sound almost like an accident."

I wasn't surprised. "They're just afraid a werewolf scare will sweep the school if they tell the truth." I fixed my eyes on James. "How did Lily take it?" That was probably why he looked rather gloomy.

"As well as can be expected. I was with her in the common room when we were told. She was too shocked to say much of anything for the first few minutes. Then she told me she wanted to be alone and disappeared into the girls' dormitory. She's been in her room ever since," he indicated the Marauder's Map, which was unfolded in front of him on the bedspread.

"Are you going to tell her the truth?" I lay down on my bed, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep.

"That depends on what the truth is," he replied coolly and I realized that his mood had nothing to do with Lily and everything to do with me.

Shifting so that I was lying on my side, I looked at James. "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

James frowned and sighed as if he couldn't believe I was asking. "You're not the only one, you know," was his softly uttered reply.

"What?" Was I supposed to be able to interpret that cryptic line?

"You're not the only one who cares about Remus." He ran his fingers through his hair. Years ago it would have been a useless attempt to keep it from falling on his forehead. Now it was a habit, one that had only been broken for a short stint in which he'd been doing all sorts of ridiculous things to impress Lily.

"I know that," I responded, annoyed. Where was this coming from?

"Really?" he arched a skeptical eyebrow. "It doesn't seem like it. You snuck off to find out everything you could without telling Peter or me. When we got back we found the map and Invisibility Cloak lying on my bed for anyone to see but there was no sign of you. You haven't been in Hogwarts for the last two hours. Now you're back and you obviously know something about what happened. You don't seem too eager to volunteer the information, though."

I groaned. I didn't feel like dealing with this right now. "I'm just tired, James. That's all. You have no idea what I…saw."

"Of course not. You didn't let me go with you or even tell me where you were going."

I chuckled dryly. "I don't need to tell you where I'm going. You're my best friend, not my mum."

"I know that," he replied quietly, dangerously. "But if I had done the same thing, you'd be furious and you know it."

My instinctual reaction was to argue but I restrained myself. He was right. I wouldn't have been very happy if _he_ had gone and spied on Dumbledore or if _he_ had gone to the Werewolf Confinement Center without telling me. It wasn't as if I had specifically wanted to exclude him, though. "I went by myself because _you_ said we should _wait_."

James jumped to his feet. "Yeah. I said that because I didn't know what else we could do. I didn't mean that I wasn't for doing something, just that I couldn't think of anything. You should have included Peter and me in whatever you did because we care about Remus too. Don't act as if it's your own personal crusade to help him just because you know that he's more important to you than he is to us."

I sighed. I should have asked him if he wanted to come with me. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about any of that. I was just…worried about Remus and what might happen to him."

James settled himself on my bed. I sat up so that we could be level. His eyes had softened and I could see that most of his frustration had ebbed. "Don't you think I know that? You care about him just as much as you care about me…just as much as I care about you. I'd be crazy with worry if you were in this situation instead of him. Just remember…you don't have to deal with all of this alone. Peter and I are concerned too and…even if we weren't… You and me, we're best friends. I'll always have your back, Padfoot."

I smiled, not really knowing what to say. James and I spent almost all of our time together. We were just about inseparable. Brothers. I would do anything for him. He would do anything for me. I had always known that. It was just nice to hear him say it.

James was blushing slightly. "So…er…tell us what you know," he said, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

Peter, who I had almost forgotten was in the room, climbed onto my bed as well. "Yeah, we want to help."

"All right," I scooted back towards the headboard to give us more room. Then I proceeded to tell them everything I had learned, including the fact that I didn't know if Dumbledore had succeeded in convincing the Minister to release Remus. Upon leaving the Confinement Center, I had found McGonagall waiting to bring me back to Hogwarts. The Headmaster was still at the Ministry.

When I finished, James titled his head back and stared at the ceiling for a good long while before saying anything. "Remus is really in trouble, Sirius. If he doesn't remember what happened and they don't find another werewolf that could have done this…" he let his words fade into silence, knowing he didn't have to elaborate.

"But we can testify, James," I protested. "If they don't find another werewolf we'll explain that we're Animagi and that we let him out of the shack. We'll tell them that he couldn't possibly have killed her because he was with us. With the Veritaserum, they'll have to believe us."

"No," he shook his head, "We can't–"

"Damn it, James!" I couldn't believe it! I had never thought James would take Remus' side on this. "Don't tell me you're more concerned about us not being expelled than Remus–"

"Of course not!" he interrupted angrily, "If I thought that us coming forward would get the charges dropped, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"You know I would too," Peter piped in.

"Then what is it?" I demanded. "What's the problem?"

"It's the time we weren't with him, when he got away from us. It was just after moonrise, which is when Dumbledore said they found Evelyn. The investigators will argue that he killed her while we were searching for him."

"But he was only missing for five minutes and we found him in that clearing, not near the edge of the Forbidden Forest where Evelyn was killed."

James finally lowered his gaze from the ceiling. "We don't know that. We don't know that it was only five minutes. None of us was carrying a watch."

"Did you hear something?" Peter asked but both James and I ignored him.

"But you were there; hardly any time passed between him running off and us finding–" I stopped short when I saw that James was already shaking his head.

"It seemed like longer to me, Sirius," he admitted. "It doesn't matter though. Even if we could prove that it was exactly five minutes…the investigators will still say that those five minutes were around the time that Evelyn was killed. They _hate_ werewolves, Sirius. They're not going to buy that it was just an ill-fated coincidence. And since we _can't_ prove how long he was missing they'll more than happily say that he came across her, killed her, and then ran back to where we found him."

"Peter," I said weakly. "How long do you think it was?"

Peter shrugged nervously. "I don't know exactly…more than five minutes. I'm sorry, Sirius."

They were wrong. They had to be. I remembered. He hadn't been missing for more than five minutes. I was sure of it. James was right, though. It didn't matter if _I_ was certain. The investigators wouldn't deny that I believed what I was saying – the Veritaserum would take care of that. They would simply point out that my estimate of time could hardly be used as an accurate gauge. They wanted to pin this on Remus because he was a werewolf. Even I – who was not blinded by prejudice – had to admit that everything was against him. _They_ weren't about to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Do you guys think he did it?" I asked in a constricted voice. Any hope I'd had of Remus being found innocent was rapidly dying. I felt as if my heart was being held in a vice by my chest. This couldn't be happening.

James and Peter both shifted uncomfortably and shared a quick glance. "It all fits, Sirius," it was my best friend who answered. "She was killed just after moonrise and he got away from us just after moonrise. He's the only registered werewolf near Hogwarts…who else could it have been?"

I stared at them mutely. I wanted to be angry but I couldn't. James was just being honest. I could tell he _wanted_ to believe that he was wrong; he just didn't see how he could be. It wasn't that he thought Remus was a murderer. He knew that Moony had no control over this.

"I think – I think that you would agree if you weren't so bent on proving his innocence," he suggested. "And believe me, I understand why. Even if he did kill her, you know that I don't think they should execute him. I think, though, that you might have to accept the possibility that–"

"No," I stated flatly. "I won't accept that. I won't accept that we might have to watch Remus be _murdered_."

"I know you want to do everything you can to get Remus out of this," he continued, ignoring my outburst. "I do too. I'll go along with anything you feel you need to do because I'm your best friend and, like I said, I'll always have your back. I'll even go along with your taking Veritaserum and telling them exactly what happened last night, even though I think it would be pointless. I just think you need to realize that there's going to be a limit to how much you can do."

"A limit that's going to let them execute him for something that's not his fault?" I asked scathingly.

"It's the system. It's entirely fucked but…we can't change it. Not in time to save him," he lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to hear it but I think you have to."

Swallowing, I closed my eyes. Everything had been fine yesterday morning. Well…not _fine_. We were all worried about Voldemort, his dark wizards, and all the murders and disappearances. But everything had been fine for the four of us, for the Marauders. How had it all fallen apart so quickly?

"We have to do something, James," I appealed weakly.

"I know," he assured me. "I know. Right now, I don't know what but…we'll think of something."

"Maybe Dumbledore will be able to keep them from executing him," Peter suggested. "He's powerful and widely respected."

I wanted to believe him, I really did. Even Dumbledore wasn't that influential, though. He hadn't even known for certain that he'd be able to get Remus released while they investigated the possibility of it having been another werewolf. If they found him guilty he wouldn't be able to stop them from carrying out their twisted form of justice. Not when the Minister of Magic himself hated werewolves.

Remus' only hope was for another werewolf to be found and that was as good as having no hope at all.


	5. Part Four

Sorry that this is slightly late. I wanted to post it this morning, live I have with the other parts, but an insane amount of homework kept me busy all weekend. I've basically worked none-stop the last two days and I still have stuff to do tomorrow. Anyway, I'm glad that everyone's continuing to enjoy the story and I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks so much for your comments.

**

Part Four

**

**Sirius:**

"Sirius!"

The sound of someone yelling my name roused me from a fitful slumber. Forcing my heavy eyelids open, I blinked past the veil of moisture and peered up into Peter's troubled face, which was obscured by a mass of my own disheveled hair. "Wha…?" I mumbled groggily.

How long had I slept? Not very, judging my desire to take a sleeping potion and hibernate for the rest of the school year.

"It's about Remus," Peter said.

Stifling a yawn, I sat up and brushed the frayed black locks from my face. "What is it?"

"Dumbledore was just here. He–"

"Did he get Remus released?" I demanded, feeling a sudden burst of energy replace my exhaustion. "Did he–"

"He wanted," Peter cut in loudly, sounding irritated, "to know if Remus was feeling any better."

"You mean he wanted to know if Remus was feeling any better when I spoke to him than when Dumbledore saw him last?" I asked. "Why didn't he wake me?"

"That's not what he wanted," he ground impatiently. "He wanted to know if Remus was feeling any better than when he left him in the Gryffindor common room after getting him released from the Confinement Center."

"What?"

"That's what I said. Apparently, Dumbledore and Remus arrived at Hogwarts about an hour ago. Remus claimed he wanted to take a shower so Dumbledore left him in the common room."

"But Remus hasn't been in here – has he?"

Peter shook his head. "I checked on the Marauder's Map," he said, handing said item to me, "and he's not on here anywhere." Then he added, "In case you're wondering, if Remus had returned an hour ago he would have found you and James in the middle of your conversation."

Suddenly, I remembered how Peter had thought he had heard something, right around the time we were discussing how long Moony had gone missing for. Oh no! I had told Remus that we had been with him for the entire night, only realizing after I said it that it wasn't true. Then, with him stuck in that wretched place, I hadn't corrected myself. I hadn't wanted him to worry. If Remus had heard James and I he would have realized not only that I had lied to him but that the possibility existed that he _had_ killed Evelyn.

I hastily unfolded the map entirely and examined it inch by inch. I saw that James was with Lily in a hidden chamber between the boys' and girls' dormitories and that all the professors – including Dumbledore – were in the staffroom. There was no sign of Remus, not even among the throng of students in the common room. That meant that there was only once place he could be.

"Mischief managed," I tapped the map with my wand. As the ink faded away, I folded the parchment up and tucked it into the inner pocket of my robe. Then I opened James' trunk and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak. "Tell James that I'm with Remus," I called over my shoulder as I flew out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Peter called after me but I didn't stop to answer.

On Christmas Day during our first year at Hogwarts, Remus and I had gone exploring. We had accidentally found a maze of hidden passageways that one could only enter through the library. Near the back of the large, bookcase infested room, was the tapestry of a unicorn. A single stroke of the unicorn's flank would open the entrance to the concealed rooms and hallways.

Remus had asked me if it could be our secret and I had indulged him. Over the years, we had used it as a sanctuary for when we were troubled. Whenever I wanted to tell him about my family woes or he wanted to talk about his horrible childhood, we'd go there. It was a safe place, one we knew wouldn't be intruded upon. I had even run there after I had found out what would have been done to Remus had he killed Snape when I so thoughtlessly sent the bastard into the Whomping Willow.

Though we had never talked about it since its discovery, we had both kept its existence a secret even after the invention of the Marauder's Map. All the other secret passages and chambers the Marauders had ever found were on it, but not this one.

James probably knew about it though. He might not know exactly where it was but he wasn't stupid. He had to know that we had a place we went that he and Peter didn't know about. There were just too many times one of hadn't shown up on the map for him not to have realized.

Remus would be very disconcerted now. He had to be there. I could think of no other place he'd go.

* * *

It took me nearly an hour to locate Remus. After looking in all our usual haunts and not finding him, I'd had to resort to going hallway by hallway and room by room. Finally, when I was beginning to wonder if Peter had hallucinated the entire episode with Dumbledore, I came across him.

He was in a small room. It was about half the size of the one we shared with James and Peter. It looked like at some point it had been someone's bedroom. There was a bed against the far wall. Next to it was a nightstand and a dresser. To the right of the doorway was a fireplace. Remus was sitting in front of it with his legs pulled up to his chest, as always. There was no fire crackling, just black powdery ash and charred remnants of wood, but Remus was staring into it as if it contained the key to eternal happiness.

He didn't look at me when I entered but he knew I was here. I had made no effort to conceal my approach. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed at my intrusion. His face was calm but his eyes were not. It looked as if a miserable war was being waged within them, one that neither side could win. He was tormented. There was nothing to indicate whether he wanted my company.

Silently, I sat down next to him and turned my attention to the ebony cinders. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

I winced at the accusatory tone of his voice. It was amazing how much censure he could carry in one, solitary word. "I didn't lie to you. At least…I didn't mean to. I didn't remember until after I said it that it wasn't true. Then–" I didn't know what to say, how to explain what I had felt in that Confinement Center.

After seven years, Remus knew when I was and wasn't done speaking. He waited silently for me to find the words that eluded me.

I licked my upper lip. It was dry and parched.

"I didn't want to take it back because I didn't want you to be tearing yourself apart while you were in that…_place_. I couldn't – I couldn't stand the image of you sitting there among that filth, wondering if you had killed someone. That _Confinement Center_ has enough despair of its own without you–" I wasn't explaining this well at all, "–without letting it amplify your own…doubts." That didn't make any sense. I sighed. "I just didn't want you to worry more than you had to."

When Remus didn't say anything I turned my head to look at him. Like in the Confinement Center, he had a very fleeting grasp on his tumbling emotions. If I hadn't known him so well I would have said he was perfectly calm, in control, but that was only on the outside. Inside… I couldn't even imagine. Remus was such a…peaceful person. Ending another person's life would shatter his world.

"I'm sorry." Hopefully he would hear my sincerity.

"Don't be. I understand why you did it. I can even appreciate it," he lowered his gaze to the floor. "After thinking that I was blameless…it's crushing to think I'm not."

I bowed my head. "I made things harder for you. That was the last thing I wanted."

"I know." He smiled then. It was a brief, barely-existent smile, but a smile nonetheless. It was his way of telling me that it was all right, that he understood, that he wasn't angry.

Remus shifted away from me. It was almost imperceptible, barely increasing the space between us at all, but I saw it for what it was. An obvious plea for solitude. It was as if he was saying, 'You got what you wanted. You apologized and I forgave. Now go.'

I more than comprehended his wanting to be alone. There were times when I wanted to be alone too. There were times when I felt like I needed to isolate myself from everything and everyone. There were also times when what I _wanted_ and what I _needed_ were not compatible. I couldn't go now. Not when Remus was so close to falling apart.

"I won't leave," I stated adamantly.

Remus sighed but didn't seem that annoyed. It was as if he was torn between wanting solitude and needing to be with someone. "I killed someone, Sirius. In a way, I'm glad the system is so skewed against me because…how am I supposed to live with this? I don't think it's possible."

There was only the faintest glimmer of doubt in his voice. He really believed he was responsible for Evelyn's death. Or maybe he was forcing himself to believe it because it was simpler than doubting, than wondering, than tormenting himself with the question. "You didn't kill her."

He laughed. It was a horrible sound devoid of all mirth. It was made more horrible by it being so uncharacteristic of him. Remus was reserved and soft-spoken. His behaving this way was a testament to how distressed he was. "Yes, because there are so many other werewolves attending Hogwarts. I'm sure it was one of them," he shook his head. "How can you believe that I didn't do this?" His control was slipping, further proving what a tenuous hold he had over himself.

"Because I _have_ to!" I yelled, feeling a rush of anger that wasn't directed at anything or anyone in particular. Least of all Remus. "Because when I don't then–"

"Say it," he urged softly, "Go ahead. Say it. When you don't you realize what I am. A monster."

"–I know that there's no hope," I finished. "Then I know that you're going to…_die_." Then, almost violently, I seized him by the shoulders and forced him to face me. "You. Are. _Not_. A. Monster."

He closed his eyes. "But something inside me is," he breathed, sounding weary and defeated. "There's something vicious inside me that I can't control. Something that can hurt people. Something that can _kill_ people. And it's _always_ there. Not just on the full moons. It's only then that I lose myself. The rest of the month…I can _feel_ it. I can _hear_ it. It's like a presence, whispering. And the whispers grow louder day by day until, for a few horrible hours, they drown out my own voice and I'm nothing but an animal."

We had never spoken about this. I knew the full moons, with their horrible transformations, were hell for him. I had never asked about the rest of the month, about whether he could feel the presence of the wolf. Maybe I hadn't wanted to know. Maybe it was easier to think that he wasn't torn by his condition all the time, that it was just one night a month.

I didn't know what to say. Maybe there was nothing I _could_ say. I just softened my grip on his shoulders to a gentle touch.

Remus went limp suddenly, as if all the energy had just fled his body. "I'm scared," he admitted quietly.

I shifted forward hesitantly. When he didn't move away, I drew him close to me. It wasn't a hug – exactly. It was more a way of sharing comfort, of sharing warmth. "So am I," I whispered.

* * *

"How is he?" James asked.

I shook my head. "I've never seen him like this. He's guilt ridden. Terrified." I let my eyes drift to where Remus lay sleeping. We had sat together in front of that fireplace for nearly two hours. We hadn't spoken. I had just held him. He had leaned against me, motionless. Finally, he had withdrawn and told me that he needed to shower and rest so we had returned to the dormitory.

I wanted to believe that I had helped him somehow but I wasn't sure that I had.

"I thought of something we can do," James said, drawing my gaze back to him. "It might not clear him, though. It might only sign his death sentence," he warned. "If it works, we'll know exactly what happened last night. We'll know whether he killed her."


	6. Part Five

Hi everyone. I just got back from spending the weekend camping (a great change from spending all of last weekend doing homework), that's why this didn't go up earlier. Next Sunday I should be able to get part six up pretty early in the morning (though keep in mind I'm on the west coast of the U.S.). Again, thanks sooo much for your wonderful reviews. I've enjoyed reading your theories on what James has planned. Hopefully this next part won't disappoint. Enjoy!

**Part Five**

**Sirius:**

Everyone in Knockturn Alley had an ill-favored look about them. Skulking about in the shadows with a mad glint in their eyes, huddled in groups conducting all sorts of nefarious business, or on the prowl for a new dark endeavor, they were all strikingly unnerving. Especially the drunks that inhabited the cheaper sections.

"Are you certain we're in the right place?" James asked, pulling the dark hood lower over his face.

"Yes," I whispered, "My mum used to frequent Knockturn Alley – probably still does – I know the good side from the bad side."

"There are a lot of _stores_ here that would sell potions," he noted, eyeing the small, bedraggled shops that lined the busy street. "We'll have to check them all."

"Let's try there first," I pointed at _Sordid Sells_, a store with dusty windows and a door that hung on its hinges.

A rusty bell sounded when we entered the dark, musty shop. Lit by small, floating candles that barely touched the obscurity, it was cold and foreboding inside. The shelves were lined with bundles of putrid plants whose names I couldn't pronounce and had never heard before. There were also jars of pickled magical creatures and rows of charmed and cursed pendants and weapons. Skulls decorated the walls and dangling animal limbs hung from the ceiling.

The shopkeeper was a burly middle-aged man with a round face and large, completely black eyes. His scraggly dark hair shrouded some of his features but couldn't conceal the abrading scar that ran across his left cheek. He appeared to be examining some merchandise behind the front counter but I knew he was watching us avidly.

"Excuse me," James said approaching him, "We were wondering if you carried any _werewolf_ potions."

The man paid him no mind.

Stepping forward, I casually picked up a large jar from one of the many shelves. It was filled with hippogriff claws that were submerged in a thick brown liquid. Knowing I already had the man's attention, I threw it against the floor. The glass shattered, releasing a rank smell as the fluid oozed across the floor.

"Ye'll hav' to'r pay fer tha'," he said, eyes gleaming.

"Pay for what?" I asked smoothly. "That was already broken when we entered."

He grinned, showing us his yellowed, crooked teeth. "What'r ye wan'?"

"Werewolf potions," I supplied. "Do you have any?"

"No," he shook his head. "Hooks's the 'nly place tha' do."

"Thank you." I smiled amicably before turning and leaving the shop.

A few moments later, a shocked and impressed looking James was at my side. "What was _that_?"

"Politeness won't get you very far in Knockturn Alley, James. Better let me handle everything in Hook's. It's down that way," I indicated the opposite end of the street.

Hook's, as it turned out, got its name from its shopkeeper, an elderly man with a birthmark on his temple that took the shape of a hook. Compared to all the people that infested this place, he was normal-looking. He had short white hair, a well-rimmed beard, and brown eyes. Experience, however, had taught me that in Knockturn Alley the 'normal-looking' people were the most dangerous.

His shop was just as dank and dimly lit as the previous one. The difference was in its merchandise. Its shelves were filled with rows of oddly sized and shaped bottles, each containing a different potion. Some were merely marked as curses, others were more specific. One potion claimed it would make the drinker's skin disintegrate while burning that person's body from the inside. How lovely.

"I was told you carry werewolf potions," I spoke without looking at the man. Instead, I kept my gaze focused on a potion that was supposed to make a person cough up their own lungs.

"That's right," he replied immediately, seeming pleased that someone had directed me to his _establishment_. "What kind do you need?"

"The most recent," I picked up a bottle and carefully read its label. It permanently blinded whoever swallowed so much as the smallest drop. Honestly, compared to the others I had seen, that was rather mild.

"This is the newest one I've got," he said. I heard him set something down.

Slowly, I made my way to the front counter. There was a small flask the same size as the one Remus had drunk from yesterday evening. When I picked it up I noted that it was labeled identically, with the word 'werewolf' written on a black sticker. This was it.

Hastily, I paid the man and indicated to James that we should leave. When we were outside, my best friend commented, "I can hardly imagine Remus in a place like this."

I nodded. Neither could I. He must have been desperate.

* * *

"All right. As soon as we put in the saline hyssop roots we'll have to add the mushroom pileus in exactly two hours," James reminded me for the _fourth_ time. "Are you certain you can get it by then?" 

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm going now."

"I'll bring the potion to a simmer and make sure we've made it properly so far."

"I'll be back in a half-hour," I promised as I concealed myself under the Invisibility Cloak and noiselessly left the secret passageway we were hiding in.

* * *

"Jeremy!" I continued pounding on my friend's door, thankful that no one else was around to hear the racket I was making. "Jeremy! It's Sirius, let me in!" 

Damn it. Why wasn't he answering? I had checked on the Marauder's Map just before knocking and it showed that he was in there. He couldn't possibly have left in the time it had taken me to fold the map up and step out form under the Invisibility Cloak, much less without my seeing him. Unless, of course, he had randomly decided to climb out a window and run off into the Forbidden Forest.

"Jere–"

The door swung open to reveal a grinning Jeremy. "Sirius. Why didn't you knock harder? You would have brought down the door and saved me the trouble of opening it." It was meant to be a joke but it came out rather snappy. I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes but whatever it was, it wasn't joy. He seemed…shell-shocked.

"Sorry. It's important, though."

"_That_ goes without saying," he stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. Once I did he closed the door behind me. "What can I do for you?"

Jeremy's home looked much the same as it had the last time I had seen it, just after we had met. He still had the same set of what he called 'action figures'. He had picked them up before coming to England, when he had spent a few months living as a Muggle. The only thing that was different was the fact that his large couch – which admittedly had been rather shabby to begin with – was gone. It opened up a lot of space in the living room – indeed, there was nothing save one small chair in it now – but I had to wonder why he'd gotten rid of it.

"Er… What happened to the couch?" I asked, frowning.

Jeremy laughed. Loudly. "Sometimes, when Dumbledore sends Hagrid away from Hogwarts, he has me look after Sunshine. Unfortunately, Sunshine was a bit…over enthusiastic and managed to ruin the couch. Clawed it all up."

"Sunshine?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? It's his new pet wyvern."

"Hagrid has a pet wyvern? And he's called it '_Sunshine_'?" Wyverns were sort of bird like. They had a dragon's head – though fortunately they didn't breathe fire – wings, and a serpent-like tail.

He shrugged, chuckling weakly. "I've learned to not be surprised by anything Hagrid does anymore."

"So…are you all right?" I asked. Last time I had seen him he had been troubled. Now, he was smiling but it seemed forced, something plastered on his face just because he knew I'd expect it of him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he waved a dismissive hand, "I'm just sick. Headache. Cough. Sore throat. Normal stuff."

"Why don't you go see Madam Pomfrey?" I asked.

"I did. She wasn't there. She was in some meeting about what happened to that girl…Evelyn Milay. I haven't had a chance to go back yet." He looked away, apparently very interested in the design of his bedspread.

I nodded. It was more than the flu. That was assuming he even _had_ the flu. If I had more time I'd try and figure out what the problem was. At the moment though, I had a potion ingredient to get a hold of. "Last time we saw each other – last night – you said you had to jar some mushroom pileus for Dumbledore."

Jeremy frowned, looking confused.

"They're for someone in New Zealand, remember?" I didn't have time for him not to know what I was talking about.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, smiling, "Of course. Mushroom pileus. How could I _possibly_ have forgotten?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I need three."

"Three," he repeated. "I only have six. I'm supposed to send them all to New Zealand tomorrow. I know you wouldn't ask if it wasn't important but Dumbledore's given me a generously paying job and a place to stay," he indicated the hut, "I can't risk that."

"I'd go to Diagon Alley if I could but it's late enough for all the shops to be closed. Knockturn Alley would have them but I can't risk buying faulty merchandise." I hated having to ask him for this, knowing how important this job was to him, but I had to. For Remus. "I'll give you enough money so that you can buy three more in Diagon Alley tomorrow morning. I need them now, though."

"Why?" he asked quietly.

A simple question with a not-so-simple answer. One I couldn't give. Not without revealing Remus' secret. "I…can't tell you, exactly. All I can say is that Remus is in trouble."

My statement was greeted with an arched eyebrow. "The sort of trouble where mushroom pileus comes in handy?"

"Well, not the mushroom pileus so much as the potion it's going to help us make." I couldn't tell whether Jeremy was going to agree or not. If it had been James, or Remus, or even Peter, I probably would have been able to see it on his face. I didn't know Jeremy well enough, though. I had no idea what he was thinking. "Please, Jeremy," I pleaded, "It's very important. If we don't get this potion right…Remus could–" I sighed. I couldn't say 'be executed' without launching into an elaborate explanation of the situation. How could I make him see how urgent this was?

"All right, Sirius," he relented. "Just let me get it." He walked into his kitchen and grabbed a small jar from off a shelf above the sink. When he returned, he handed it to me. "There're three in there."

Clutching the jar in one hand, I reached into my pocket and pulled out all the money I had on me. "Here," I said, dropping the coins into his waiting hand. "_Thank you_." Expressing how grateful I was would be impossible. Hopefully he would hear it in my voice.

"Sirius," he said, looking down at the money in his hands, "This is way more than enough."

"Thank you," I repeated.

"I'll give you the change next time I see you," he assured me, dumping the coins onto his kitchen table.

"Keep it. For your trouble," I turned towards the door. "I need to be leaving."

Jeremy followed me. "Just so you know…I would have given them to you even without the money to buy replacements."

I paused and turned back to look at him. But he had mentioned Dumbledore and his job…

"I can tell how important your friends are to you," he said by way of explanation, smiling his first genuine smile since when I had seen him prior to moonrise the previous night. Before everything had gone to hell.

I didn't really understand what he meant by that but I just nodded and smiled. "I need to go now."

Passing me, he opened the door. "I hope everything works out for Remus." He hadn't even met Moony but I could tell he sincerely meant it.

"Thanks." When he pushed the door shut behind me, I added, more quietly, "So do I."

* * *

"It's ready," James announced softly. "We just have to let it cool." 

Right. After it cooled we'd be able to take Remus a flask. If he agreed to drink it, we'd know. We'd know whether he had killed Evelyn. All day – ever since I had learned what had happened to the poor girl – I hadn't let myself doubt, even for one moment, that Remus was innocent. Now, though, I felt a growing anxiety. What if I was wrong?

"If you want, you can go explain things to Remus while I wait for the potion to cool," he offered without looking up from the cauldron.

I watched him carefully, surprised. "Are you sure?"

James smiled. "Yeah. You're his closest friend. He should hear it from you." He left a lot unspoken. That wasn't his only reason. He knew that I liked being the one that was there for Remus. It made me feel like I was doing something worth while. More importantly, it made me feel _needed_.

"Thanks, James… Just, thank you." I was lucky to have such an incredible friend who understood me so well.

* * *

It was dark when I returned to our room. The familiar, rhythmic snoring told me Peter was asleep. Soundlessly, I padded over to Remus' bed, which was barely illuminated by moonlight. Peering through the semi-darkness, I was surprised to see that my friend was wide awake. He was lying on his back, staring up into the obscurity with shadowed emerald eyes. 

Wordlessly, he sat up and pulled his knees to his chest.

I took the tacit invitation and settled down across from him on his bed. "How are you doing?" I kept my voice low so as not to wake Peter.

"Better. The shower and sleeping helped," he hesitated, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Remus…don't apologize. You don't have to always be calm and collected. It's okay to slip. It happens." I'd _cried_ in front of him. For me, that was falling apart entirely. Even James hadn't ever seen my cry.

"Thank you for being there for me, Sirius."

I wished I could see his eyes better. It was too dim though, I could barely make out the outline of his face. "You know that–"

"No, listen to me," he interjected. "Thank you for _always_ being there. I've been happier here at Hogwarts than anywhere else. In large part because of you. I just _need_ for you to know that."

No. He couldn't do this. He couldn't start talking like he was going to die. "Rem–"

"I know what you're going to say, but Sirius, I have a clock hanging over me. It's ticking down to the time when the Minister of Magic will return with his _investigators_ and drag me away to be executed. Dumbledore will do everything in his power to save me. He'll fail, though. The investigation he's forced the Minister to conduct will end and they'll do what they would have done already if not for Dumbledore: kill me. I refuse to leave things unsaid. Especially with you." He sighed, sounding very helpless. "I'm sorry if it's hard for you to hear."

It seemed that since the time we had last spoken he had forced himself to accept what he thought was inevitable. I wondered if he was just saying this with calm detachment or if he really felt it. "I'm glad that I've been a good friend to you, Remus. But before you finish saying your peace, I have something to tell you. I don't know what Peter said but James and I didn't skip out to perform some sort of childish prank. We were trying to help you."

"Sirius…please, tell me you didn't go to Dumbledore. It'd be useless…you'd be getting yourself expelled for no reason."

"No, no," I shook my head, "Nothing like that. We performed a component charm on the potion you took before moonrise." When done correctly, a component charm would accurately list all of the ingredients used in any given potion. When tweaked – as James and I had learned to do – it would give the specific quantity of each ingredient and detail how it was added and mixed in. Essentially, it was a way of figuring out how to exactly replicate the potion in question.

I knew that Remus was frowning even though I could hardly see him. "But there was nothing left of that potion."

"We went to Knockturn Alley and bought another one. We figured it was our best chance of getting one like the one you took."

"Oh," he commented intelligently.

"Well, you know that James is very talented with potions. He used the results from the component charm to figure out how to make a potion that would counter the effects of the one you took." Basically, it had involved James figuring out what the key ingredient was and adding it to the potion in exactly the opposite way it had been added to the original potion. The mushroom pileus had been chopped into pieces and stirred into the original potion while it was cold. According to James, that meant we had to bring our potion to a boil and add the mushroom pileus in whole.

For a while, Remus just watched me. I wasn't sure if he grasped the significance of what I was saying. "You mean that if I drink this potion you made for me, I'll remember what happened during the full moon."

"Exactly." That was assuming that James had interpreted the component charm correctly and selected the right key ingredient. He was certain that he had, though, and I trusted him. It would work. "If it was another werewolf you can have Dumbledore give you the Veritaserum again. They'll have to drop the charges when you say you didn't do it."

"_If_ I didn't do it," Remind amended. "If I did…" He didn't finish. He didn't have to. If he was guilty, it was over. His life was over.

For a few minutes we just sat in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

"The potion's ready!" Maybe it was because of the stillness in the room or maybe James really had yelled but Remus and I both jumped when he came running in with his announcement.

James was standing just beside the bed, holding out a large jar or purplish liquid. I took it from him and shakily handed it to Remus. Moony held it tightly in the palm of his right hand. For a long while, he didn't say anything. He just stared at it.

Finally, though, he spoke in a voice so quiet I wondered if he was talking to himself. "For almost my entire life I've wished I could forget the full moons. At Hogwarts they've been better but still, I'd have given anything to erase the memories of madness. Now… I don't remember anything about last night. Not the pain of the transformations, not the utter loss of control and awareness of self. It's what I've always wanted and I'm going to give it away. It's better though. It's better than not knowing, than having that doubt in my mind, however small."

Setting the jar on his nightstand, he seemed to shake those thoughts from his mind. "I would like to do this alone," he said. Despite the darkness I could tell he was looking directly at me.

"Of course." It was the last thing that I wanted but I'd leave without protest if that was what he needed. "We'll wait in the common room. It's late enough so that no one will be there."

I climbed to my feet. At some point, Peter had stopped snoring. Either he was awake or he had, within the last few minutes, changed a habit he'd had for years. "Wormtail?"

"Yeah?" came his slightly distorted reply.

"Get up. Remus needs to be alone."

Peter groaned but didn't protest. Instead, he stumbled to his feet and followed James from the room.

"Remus," I searched for meaningful words that could express the depths of my emotions but came up woefully empty handed. Truly, what was there to say?

"I know, Sirius," he replied kindly.

I bit my lip. "Good luck."

Nervously, I joined James and Peter in the common room. They were standing in front of the fire, whispering. He was probably explaining to Wormtail exactly what we had done. We hadn't told him much when we left, just that we were going to make a potion that might clear or convict Remus and that he should stay and keep Moony company.

Blocking their barely audible murmurs from my mind, I sunk down into one of the many couches that filled the common room. Wearily, I swung my legs onto the cushion and leaned back against the armrest. I was beyond exhausted. I had been exhausted going into the full moon. Now I was ready to collapse. I had barely gotten any sleep since this whole nightmare began. It was hard to believe that Remus had only been arrested last night. It seemed like an eternity ago. I just wanted to crawl into some hole somewhere and forget about everything while I slept and slept…and slept.

I couldn't forget though. I couldn't even push it from my mind for more than a few minutes, if that. Remus was in there – in our dormitory – taking a potion that would restore his memory of last night. Soon, he'd walk into the common room and tell us what had happened. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it.

I had known him for seven years. He and James were my closest friends. I didn't want to lose him. Not because of a misunderstanding, not because time would pull us apart, and certainly not because of execution. It just wasn't right. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair. What they did to werewolves was just…unthinkable.

Would it hurt? When they killed him…would it hurt? I had no idea. I had no idea how they executed criminals. Would he be allowed to have people with him? If he was…would he want me there? Would I be able to go if he did? I couldn't imagine _watching_ him die. But I would. If it was easier for him. But, God…it'd be the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. I'd seen him in pain. I'd seen his body twist into wolf and human form. I'd seen him tear himself almost to pieces during the full moons. All of that had been hard, all of that had ripped something out of me. But actually watching him be _killed_? I couldn't even conceive of that. I couldn't imagine how horrible that would be.

Oh Merlin. What was I doing? I had to stop thinking like this. I had to stop thinking that the potion James and I had made would prove that the worst was true. I believed that Remus was innocent. Why couldn't I feel it? Why did my doubts have to take over? Why couldn't I just calmly await Remus announcement and then deal with whatever it entailed? Because I cared about him. Because I loved him and I couldn't not worry when his life was in danger.

I was _scared_. I was _so scared_. How was I supposed to–

"Sirius," James interrupted my anxious thoughts.

I looked up. Remus had just entered the common room. He was walking towards us. His face was calm, revealing no emotion. I searched his gaze for some hint of what the potion had revealed. The emerald pools were darker than usual, making his eyes almost black and giving him a very grave air. That was it, though. That was all there was to interpret. He was completely unreadable to me. I had no idea what he was going to say.

Remus came to a stop a few feet from us. "I need to talk to Dumbledore."


	7. Part Six

Well, here it is. Thanks again for the reviews, I've enjoyed reading them throughout the week as I do my homework for my various classes. Also, this cliffhanger should provide a breather from the last one since it's not nearly as bad and should come as no surprise to most of you (subtlety is something I'm still working on).

**

Part Six

**

**Sirius:**

Remus glanced at James and Peter but then focused his attention on me. Silently, solemnly, he took a seat across from me on the couch. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he met my gaze intently. As I examined his eyes, some of their normal vibrant color returned, replacing the blackness from just moments earlier. They even seemed to be shining again.

Then I knew. Without him having to tell me, I knew.

A surreal giddiness drained me of all worry. Oh, thank God. He hadn't done it! He really hadn't done it! My belief in him had been more than a desperate attempt to deny what appeared to be obvious. The nightmare was over. Everything was going to be all right.

A lopsided grin spread itself over my lips. "You git!" I hit him lightly on the arm. "You enjoyed that! You enjoyed making me wonder! I–"

I frowned. Remus was shaking his head. Smiling, but shaking his head. No. He hadn't done it on purpose. He wasn't that cruel. He had wanted to come right out and say it but he was overwhelmed. In shock. After getting thrown in that Confinement Center and then being released only to be struck by the fear that he most likely had killed someone, this didn't seem real to him. He wanted to believe it but it was like a dream he was afraid would slip away.

"Remus," I hugged him tightly, "Remus, it's all right. It's over."

I could feel him trembling very slightly but slowly his arms slipped around me. "I almost can't believe it," he murmured. "Who else could it be?"

"It doesn't matter." He slowly relaxed. "As long as it wasn't you. It doesn't matter."

Simultaneously, we pulled back. I flushed, embarrassed because I remembered that James and Peter were in the room, watching our exchange.

Remus smiled, understanding. He stood and turned towards the others. I was surprised when James, laughing, pulled him into a quick embrace and slapped him hardily on the back. "I'm glad," he said simply.

"Thanks for making the potion." Remus held his gaze and spoke very earnestly.

James nodded and dramatically let himself fall back onto the couch next to me. "I'm always willing to gift others with the fruits of my substantial knowledge," he grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "It was comments like those that made Lily steer clear of you for so long. Better be careful or you'll send her running again," I jokingly warned.

"Ah," he shrugged me off. "At least I _have_ a girlfriend. That's more than I can say for your sorry lot," he gestured vaguely at Peter, Remus, and me.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore," Remus cut off any retort I might have made.

His shock had worn off but he still didn't seem as happy as I would have expected. Oh, he was relieved, there was no denying that, but why wasn't he ecstatic? He hadn't killed anyone, one of his worst fears _hadn't_ come true. Why did he still seem so…troubled?

Remus was watching me. When I met his gaze, he shook his head almost imperceptibly. It was his way of asking me to let it go. He didn't want to explain. Not in front of James and Peter and perhaps not even to me.

"It's the middle of the night," I pointed out. "We can go first thing in the morning."

He nodded. "I'm going to…go to sleep," he said, heading back towards our dormitory.

"Hey!" Peter stopped him, "We should have a party or something!"

"Yeah!" James agreed, giving one of his face-splitting grins.

Remus barely smiled, shaking his head. "I'm tired," he said. "I need to sleep." Then he left the common room.

I stared after him, feeling some of my own joy ebb.

"What do you suppose is wrong now?" James wondered.

I shook my head. I had no idea.

* * *

"Sirius."

The whispering of my name intruded upon my much-needed sleep. The wonderful dream I had been having about the Werewolf Confinement Center being burned to the ground – after all its prisoners were released – faded away. I wanted to groan and hide myself under the blankets. Perhaps, if I just ignored the voice, its owner would leave me be.

"Sirius." This time, a hand shaking my shoulder accompanied the annoying sleep-destroying voice.

No. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to sleep. I hadn't slept in what seemed like several eternities and I was tired. If I kept pretending that I couldn't hear whatever ungodly person was trying to rouse me, he'd go away.

"Sirius!" This time my name was spoken louder and the person shook me harder.

Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. Now I was too awake to just instantly fall asleep again. Why hadn't the aggravating robber-of-sleep taken the hint and left me alone? Now that I was more lucid I had to admit that hoping he'd bugger off because I was pretending I couldn't hear him was similar to the idea that if I closed my eyes someone else wouldn't be able to see me. Or was it? Maybe I was still too asleep to make analogies.

Muttering an inaudible curse, I opened my eyes and rolled over before whoever it was could say my name again. "Won't anyone let me get some sleep?" I demanded, upset. At first my vision was too blurry to make anything out in the darkness but after a few moments I recognized…Remus.

"Damn it, Moony," I growled, "The school had better be collapsing."

Even in the dim lighting I could see the hurt and surprise in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, sounding overly contrite. He turned back towards his bed.

Damn. "No, Remus, wait." In seven years he had never once purposefully woken me in the middle of the night. Obviously, it was important.

He returned to the side of my bed but didn't say anything.

"I'm just tired. I've barely gotten any sleep since the full moon and–" Suddenly I felt guilty for complaining. "Of course not getting any sleep doesn't compare to being arrested for murder and getting thrown into a Confinement Center, or turning into a wolf once every month for that matter, so I really should…stop babbling now."

Remus smiled, apparently very amused at my ramblings.

"What time is it?" I asked hurriedly, yawning.

Remus answered less quickly. "Er…five-thirty," he sounded embarrassed and apologetic again.

Oh, of course. "Five-thirty," I repeated tiredly, still feeling a little frustrated. "In the morning."

"I'm sorry," he offered again. "I…couldn't sleep."

One of my eyebrows shut up of its own accord. "You couldn't sleep?"

He flushed. "I know. What am I? Five? I just… I can't stop…" he sighed, flustered.

He was still shaken up. Whatever had been bothering him when he left the common room was still weighing heavily on his mind. The last of my annoyance faded. He had been through quite a bit lately. Obviously, it had taken its toll. He wasn't his calm, controlled self. That, in and of itself, said a great deal about how troubled he was.

Suppressing another yawn, I sat up and tucked my legs under me.

Remus immediately settled himself into the space I had created for him. "Thank you," he whispered, smiling.

I nodded once.

"It never seemed real to me," he murmured sadly after taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "I was always so afraid of hurting or killing someone but even still…it seemed more of a nightmare than an actual possibility. Even with all the close calls we've had over the last couple years the reality never sunk in. I never understood what it would mean to _kill_ someone.

"Now, Evelyn is dead…" he shook his head, "and all I can think is that it could have been me. I didn't kill her. But I could have. The only reason I didn't was because I got lucky."

"_We_ got lucky," I corrected, "Prongs, Wormtail, and me. It's _our_ fault, Remus, not yours. We should have been more careful. We should have paid closer attention. I promise that next time we–"

"No. No next time."

"Well, obviously it can't be next time," I agreed, understanding. "Once the Ministry finds out you're not responsible they won't rest until they track down our mysterious werewolf. Next full moon they'll have teams sweeping Hogwarts. We should stay in the Shack."

"No," he said again, "that's not what I meant. You're right, of course. They'll have people specifically trained in capturing werewolves everywhere around Hogwarts next full moon. That's not what I meant, though." He hesitated, seeming suddenly nervous, "I meant there won't be a next time for you guys to be more careful. I've decided I can't take the risk anymore. There are seven full moons left before we graduate. I won't leave the Shack for any of them."

Oh. I wanted to argue but held my tongue. After seven years I could tell when I had hope of changing his mind and when I didn't. He was adamant about this. I could argue that he would only be making things more difficult for himself but who would know that better than him? If he was willing to endure increased pain and madness to ensure others' safety then I was willing to let him.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," he apologized sincerely, still uneasy.

"Whatever for, Remus?" For being the most sensible of the Marauders? Though even I had to admit after what had happened on the last full moon that taking Moony out of the shack was not a bright idea.

"I know how much you enjoy the full moons. Prongs, Wormtail, and you," he bowed his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. Maybe you can have your adventures on another night."

I shook my head. "Remus, look at me." I waited for him to meet my gaze before continuing. "Of course we have fun on the full moons. It's been brilliant, really. But that's not the point. It's always been to make things easier for _you_. I'm sorry if that wasn't obvious… And as for doing it on another night, it wouldn't be the same without you."

He smiled. "It wasn't entirely your fault." He ran a hand through his shoulder length hair. "Even if you had been paying closer attention to me, I think I would have gotten away anyway. You might not realize because it's never been an issue before but to a werewolf the call of another werewolf is…very powerful."

"I had read that, yes." I'd forgotten, though. At least until he mentioned it.

"I heard the howling of the other werewolf. That's why I ran off. If…if you–" he touched his left temple with his forefinger. "If you hadn't found me, I would have joined him. Then we'd _both_ be responsible for killing Evelyn." God, he sounded so lost.

I placed a hand on his forearm. "We _did_ find you, Remus. Evelyn's death is not _your_ fault."

His eyes shifted to the window behind me. I always looked _past_ me when he was about to change the subject even though his feelings regarding it were still running deep. "I'm going to tell Dumbledore that you were late for the full moon. You weren't going to enter the Shack once you realized that moonrise had passed but you saw that the Whomping Willow's branches were immobilized. Worried, you checked the Shack and saw that I was gone. Immediately, you began searching for me. It took you a while to find me but when you did you used a charm to stun me. Then you dragged me back to the Shack and stayed with me the rest of the night.

"I know the Minister of Magic will blame Madam Pomfrey for leaving the tree immobilized and allowing me to escape but…" he shrugged, "It's better than them discovering that you're an Animagus."

Remus _was_ the most sensible of us. I hadn't even thought about how we would explain Moony's 'escape'. "Very…er…thorough. I'll tell James and Peter…so that we can all have our stories straight. I doubt Dumbledore will ask us but it pays to be careful."

"I'm more concerned with what the Minister of Magic will ask me after I've taken the Veritaserum," Remus confided. "I can lie to Dumbledore about how I got loose but if Beechcroft asks after I've taken the potion me I'll have no choice but to tell the truth."

So he was worried about that too. Remus worried too much. About himself and about others when he should have been worrying about himself. "Then you'll tell the truth," I shrugged. "I'll accept whatever the Ministry and Dumbledore feel is the appropriate punishment for breaking the law regarding becoming an Animagus and 'releasing' a werewolf on the full moons. It's better than them killing you."

Remus didn't seem convinced. "It's not as if I don't believe you, Padfoot. I know you feel that way now. I'm afraid you'll change your mind if you're expelled." He momentarily placed his hand over mine, which was still resting on his arm. "Thank you for listening to me. Talking to you always helps."

Had I helped? I hoped so. It didn't seem like I had done anything at all.

"I'm sorry that I woke you," he apologized unnecessarily. He did that often. "It must seem rather pointless now."

"No," I assured him immediately. It wasn't as if I actually _needed_ to sleep, after all. "As long as I helped." How could I have helped? He had gone from subject to subject before I could even really offer my input. It was as if he was afraid of saying too much or watching his control crumble away.

"You did." He sounded genuine.

I smiled, deciding not to press the matter. "Then feel free to wake me up any time you feel like talking at five-thirty in the morning."

At first Remus frowned but then he realized I wasn't expressing any annoyance and he chuckled before sliding off of my bed and returning to his own.

* * *

"They didn't ask!" Remus exclaimed and I couldn't hide the smile that flickered across my lips at hearing actual joy in his voice.

Setting aside the book that I had been staring at since Remus left to speak with Dumbledore, I looked up just as Moony sat next to me on my bed. "They didn't ask about what?" I prompted.

"They didn't ask how I escaped the Shrieking Shack. They simply wanted to know whether I killed Evelyn and then, when I said no, whether I knew who had," his voice faltered. I knew what he was thinking. That it was unfair for them to assume he would know who the other werewolf was just because he was also a werewolf. "They don't know you're an Animagus."

I rolled my eyes and half-sighed half-chuckled in disbelief. "I don't care about that, you git. Did they drop the charges?"

Remus grinned, eyes lighting up, and I realized he had made that announcement first just to see the look on my face. It had not been because he actually thought that I would care more about that than whether the Ministry was going to leave Moony in peace or because _he_ thought that was more important.

I smiled briefly before repeating my question. "Did they drop the charges?"

His grin faded to a smile. "Yes, Sirius. They did."

Good. Wonderful. I hadn't been worried – exactly. It had just been a nagging concern that the Ministry hated werewolves so much that they'd find a way to hold Remus for some idiotic, prejudicial reason. "Do James and Peter know?"

"They were in the common room so I told them on my way in." He scooted back so that he had room to draw his legs up and rest his feet on the mattress. "I'm sorry about this morning. I really shouldn't have woken you."

I felt like strangling him. "Remus!" I cried out in exasperation, "I said it was all right and I meant it! _Stop apologizing_!" I purposefully softened my tone, "Really, don't worry about it. Are you feeling better now? Are…are you all right?"

The last of his smile faltered. His eyes went distant. "Would you believe me if I said yes? I…knew Evelyn, Sirius. She wanted to come back to Hogwarts and teach Herbology. She…she was engaged to James Flemming from Ravenclaw. Did you know that?"

I shook my head mutely. I hadn't exchanged more than three words with her in the last seven years. I hadn't realized that Remus had had any extended interaction with her. Maybe he hadn't. Maybe he just needed to say these things to make himself feel better.

"The wedding was going to be the day after graduation. Lily would have been her maid of honor. I saw Lily when I left this morning…she had been crying." James had mentioned it to me. Remus had hugged her and told her how sorry he was. Lily had thanked him and said he was a sweetheart.

That, apparently, was the opinion most of the Gryffindor girls held of him. A fact I had told him many times. He, however, always refused to get involved in any sort of romantic relationship. He didn't want to hide his condition from someone he was intimate with and was too afraid to be forthcoming about it. It was sad how many things he denied himself because of his condition.

"I didn't do it, Sirius…so why do I have to feel so _guilty_?" he asked faintly.

I shook my head helplessly. I didn't know what to tell him. I had to say something though. "You'll feel better."

"The funeral is tomorrow," he went on listlessly, "Will you come with me?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you."

He needed to stop thinking about this. We needed to distract him. "I think Peter had a good idea last night. We should have a party."

He frowned. "No. Maybe after the funeral…if we wait a week or so."

"You've been through a lot, Remus. You need to get if off your mind. Not in a week, now." Maybe we, along with James and Peter, could sneak off to Hogsmeade. It'd been a while since we'd all gone together. It'd be fun.

"Sirius, I really don't feel like–"

I interrupted his pleading protest. "That's exactly why you should."

Annoyance flickered across his face but then he smiled resignedly, perhaps realizing the futility of arguing with me. "Very well."

* * *

**NEW POTION MIGHT CURE WEREWOLF MADNESS**

"Bloody brilliant," I muttered under my breath, tossing today's issue of the _Daily Prophet_ aside. What was this? For decades the Ministry's research teams had virtually ignored the condition, preferring to simply classify werewolves as '_dark creatures_' instead of finding a way to help them. Now it seemed as if they were coming out with a _'possible'_ treatment every other day. How terrifically wonderful of them to suddenly make it a priority but not an important enough priority to actually test the effects of the potions before releasing them to the public. After all, who cared if a couple of werewolves dropped dead in the name of magical remedies?

I sighed. Why now? Everything had been going so well. The first couple weeks after Evelyn's funeral had been iffy. Remus had devoted _all_ of his time to studying unless I managed to pry him away from his books and papers which, unfortunately, had not been very frequently. He had also been deprived of sleep by recurring nightmares of having killed Evelyn and of being dragged to the Werewolf Confinement Center.

That had subsided though.

While Remus was still more withdrawn and morose than usual, he had recently started spending more time with the rest of the Marauders. He was even getting along well with Jeremy; I had introduced them shortly after the funeral. The occasional bad dream still tormented him but those had mostly abated as well. He was, in short, getting better. Today, his low spirits had more to do with tonight's full moon than the nightmare that the last one had become. The last thing he needed was to buy some crackpot potion that would raise his hopes only to increase his suffering.

"They've already started arriving."

I raised my gaze to see Remus setting a pile of books on his bed. "A bit of light reading?" I teased. "Or are you already studying for our final exams?"

"Yes, well, some of us _do_ have to study, Sirius," he retorted, a hint of bitterness darkening his words.

I shook my head. I hadn't meant anything by it. It wasn't my fault that I remembered things from class without having to study. "Who's already started arriving?" I changed the subject.

"Teams especially trained in capturing werewolves," he elaborated. "They aren't about to let Evelyn's death go unpunished."

"Maybe they won't find anything. The other werewolf might have just…er…been passing through." Perhaps whoever it was had found a secure place for their transformations so that they wouldn't harm anyone else.

He shrugged noncommittally. "Would you help me study for Potions?"

"Of course…and anything else, as well." It was very important to Remus to do well on the N.E.W.T.s. He hoped that maybe, if he proved how knowledgeable and capable he was, he'd be able to make a decent living. James and I didn't have to worry about anything of the sort. Even Peter had no doubts about finding a job. Everything was different for Remus, though. He worked so hard but we all knew that it was next to pointless. No respected employer would ever hire him.

It was so unfair. He didn't deserve this.

My eyes fell to the newspaper that lay crumpled at the foot of my bed. I had to tell him. If I didn't, he'd find out about it anyway and get the potion at Knockturn Alley. He had promised to let me know whenever he took a potion, he had not promised to let me pay for the more expensive, better made ones that could be found at Hogsmeade.

Grudgingly, I picked the paper up and walked over to Remus. He was sitting on his bed now, with one of the books opened across his lap. He didn't even notice me. I placed the paper over his book, blocking his view of it.

"Padfoot," he admonished, "I need to study."

I pointed at the article that would concern him.

Remus' protest died on his lips. Slowly, he lifted the _Daily Prophet_ so that it was at a better angle for him to read. Silently, I watched his eyes dart back and forth as he took the information in. I didn't speak until I was sure he was finished. "It's too late to get the potion for tonight. This weekend we can go to Hogsmeade and I'll buy it for you."

"No," he didn't look up from the article.

Of course he couldn't agree and make things simple for the both of us. "Look, Remus, I understand that you want to buy it with your own money but–"

"Sirius, stop." He carefully folded the paper up and placed it on his pillow. "Thank you," he met my gaze. "I appreciate what you're doing. I'm not going to buy the potion."

"You're going to steal it?" I asked without thinking.

He smiled briefly. "No. That could have been phrased better. I'm not going to drink any more potions until one is released that has been tested and deemed safe."

"Why not?" It wasn't that I wasn't pleased; I simply didn't understand his change of heart.

"You were right. Last month…what you said to me. You were right. I–" he swallowed, "I want the pain to end but…the consequences are– If I hadn't taken the potion last month there never would have been any doubt. I wouldn't have spent nearly as much time in the Confinement Center, wouldn't have thought I had killed Evelyn, and wouldn't have worried you so much."

I grinned, relieved. He had made the right choice. It had been hard but he had done it.

"It's better this way," he nodded. "Thank you for showing me the article. I know you must have wanted to burn it."

"I just wanted to make sure you got a decently made potion. The less risks, the better." Well, assuming the risks were his and not mine. I, after all, didn't, place much stock in carefully considering options and doing the safest, most intelligent thing.

Remus didn't comment on it. "I know." He glanced down at the book in his lap. "I do need to study before moonrise, though."

"Right." Grabbing my copy of the _Daily Prophet_, I climbed back onto my bed. I was about to finish the article I had been reading before I'd caught sight of the other headline when I noticed something through my window. It was Dumbledore. He was talking to…the Minister of Magic.

Shaking my head, I leaned back against the wall. I sincerely hoped that they did not catch the werewolf. No one deserved to be executed for something that wasn't within their ability to control. No one.

* * *

The Minister had sent a ridiculous number of people to catch the werewolf. They virtually formed an impenetrable perimeter around the castle. I couldn't help but wonder if there would have been nearly as many if Evelyn had been murdered. I doubted it. Arresting the killer would be a priority, of course, but this was about more than that. This was about hate. This was the Muggles would call a witch-hunt.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey left the shack. She was very…unhappy. Beechcroft had ordered her to stand guard just outside the range of the Whomping Willow to ensure that Remus didn't escape again. I waited until I could no longer hear her muttered complaints before stepping out from under the Invisibility Cloak.

"I do feel sorry for her. What happened last month wasn't at all her fault. I hope she doesn't have to do this until we graduate." It'd be pointless. There was no way Remus would get out of here unless someone released him, which we would no longer be doing.

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, jumping. "You're here!"

I frowned. Where else would I be? The only times I hadn't been here were the full moons following the Prank because Remus had expressly told me he didn't want me here. "Very observant of you, Remus."

"I didn't think any of you would come. Staying inside the shack with a deranged wolf isn't nearly as amusing as running through the Forbidden Forest." He slipped out of his robe and put it inside of the magically reinforced cupboard that stored his clothes and wand during the full moons.

"Remus, I've spent full moons here even when James and Peter couldn't come. Before we became Animagi, I stayed in that hallway," I pointed across the room towards the closed door that separated us from the passage. "Why would I leave you alone now?

Remus paused in undressing himself. "I don't know. Sometimes it's just hard for me to believe that you would want to spend a night trapped inside this…_place_, getting repeatedly attacked by a werewolf."

"The only time you ever _attacked_ me was the first full moon I spent with you after the Prank," I reminded him, placing James' Invisibility Cloak safely inside the cupboard. "The other times Moony has just been playing…overenthusiastically."

"Only a werewolf's version of playing would give you scars to match my own." He stored the last of his clothing and wand before locking the cupboard and hanging the key on a hook in the wall, well out of harm's way.

"I don't care about the scars." He wasn't going to start feeling guilty about that again, was he? I knew what I was doing when I spent the full moons alone with him.

"Would you care if I killed you?" he demanded very quietly.

So that's what this was about. That's what he was afraid of. "If you didn't kill me on that full moon after the Prank you're most certainly not going to kill me now, Remus."

"I'm a werewolf, Sirius. It's what I do. I kill people." He placed his hand on the wood of the cupboard. Moving it downward, he traced the numerous claw marks with his fingers.

"Good thing I'm not going to be a person then. I'm going to be a dog, a dog Moony likes to play with, not maim and kill." I wasn't going to go stand in the hallway and I most certainly wasn't going to leave. Even when it was just Padfoot, Moony behaved better than when he was alone. He wouldn't turn on himself if I was here.

"I know. I know that." He lowered his hand and instead turned to look at what was left of the couch. The cushions had been ripped to shreds. The frame was covered in gashes and blood.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked. _Please say no_. The last thing we needed was to get into an argument just before a transformation. It would be bad enough without him going into it upset.

He didn't look at me. He didn't even turn to face me. He just shook his head. "I'm selfish. I've never been anything but."

God. He didn't need this. He didn't need to be doing this. Not on a full moon. Obviously, Evelyn had affected him more than I had ever realized. "It's not selfish to want things to be easier."

"No. But it is selfish to let my friends risk their lives. It's even more selfish to risk other people's lives by leaving the Shrieking Shack," he self-deprecated.

"You're not _letting_ me risk my life. I'm here because I want to be." How many times had I told him this? "As for leaving the Shack… Maybe it was a mistake but it was a mistake we _all_ made, not just you."

Instead of retreating to his usual corner, Remus sat down where he was standing, right in the middle of the room. As always, he drew his legs up and leaned into them. He sighed. "I'm sorry for being this way. It's just with Evelyn and the full moon… It'll be better tomorrow."

Of course it would. The full moons were always the hardest. I should have expected something like this after what had happened last month. I should have expected this night to bring out his fears and doubts again.

Silently, I knelt by his side and placed a hand on his back.

He closed his eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

* * *

Remus and I waited for nearly a half hour after moonset before leaving the shack. When we reached the Whomping Willow and immobilized its branches we were surprised to see that Madam Pomfrey wasn't there.

"Seven years," Remus whispered wearily. "Seven years and she's never once failed to check up on me shortly after moonset. Where is she?"

I scanned what I could see of the castle and surrounding area. There was no one in sight. "Where are all the Ministry people?"

"Maybe they cleared out already," he suggested distractedly. "I'm more worried about Madam Pomfrey. Do you think something happened to her?"

"She might have been called away on an emergency. She's the best nurse we've got, after all." Glancing to my right and seeing nothing but empty air, I realized that Remus had fallen a few steps behind. He wasn't injured – I was the one with all the gashes and bite marks – but he _was_ exhausted. As usual. "Sorry," I stopped. When he caught up with me I continued at a slower pace. I didn't want to rush him.

"I hope that–"

"Remus!" I recognized Madam Pomfrey's shrill voice.

My friend and I looked in the direction of the castle. The nurse was hastening her way towards us. "Are you all right?" she asked when we reached each other. "You don't seem scratched up."

"No, I'm fine," he assured her, glancing at me. "Just tired."

Madam Pomfrey was clearly relieved. It was a good thing that my own wounds were concealed by my clothes as I had no idea how I would explain them to her. If I admitted that Moony had hurt me she'd think he'd turned me as well. Though I could have had fang marks on my face and it wouldn't have mattered judging by all the attention she was paying me.

"I'm sorry for not coming," she apologized as we made our way towards the castle. "I got distracted, what with all the commotion regarding the capture of the other werewolf."

Remus and I both came to an abrupt stop. "They caught him?" Moony asked so quietly, so unhappily, that she didn't even hear him.

"They caught the werewolf that killed Evelyn?" I repeated more loudly.

Madam Pomfrey turned around. "They did indeed. Not but two hours ago. They subdued him and moved him to Hagrid's cabin until moonrise. They took him to the Ministry as soon as he transformed."

Remus had gone pale. His eyes were wide. He looked…stricken. And why wouldn't he be? Whoever it was _had_ killed a person but he hadn't done it willingly. Unless he was a heartless bastard, he no doubt felt guilt for what he had involuntarily done. The Ministry needed to ensure he had proper facilities for his transformations. They didn't need to murder him.

"Who was it then?" I asked. I had hoped that the other werewolf had just been someone passing by. The fact that he was still here, a month after Evelyn's death, proved he had to be connected to Hogwarts somehow. He either lived in the castle or nearby. He also had to be an unregistered werewolf or the Ministry would have taken him in with Remus.

"Why, you wouldn't believe it," she shook her head. "It turned out to be the young American boy that arrived at Hogwarts two, three months ago."

A lightning bolt of pain shot through my chest. There was only one American here. "W-what?" I managed to stammer. "You don't mean–"

"Indeed I do," she nodded, eyes severe. "It was Jeremy Mikkena."


	8. Part Seven

Hi everyone. Allow me to apologize for not posting this on Sunday, like usual. I've had SO much homework to do since last Friday that today's basically the first time I've had time to sit down and just relax. Sorry for the long wait. And thanks, _jojo_, for the concern. I'm fine – just exhausted.

I'm thrilled that you have all enjoyed the story so far and hope you like the last part. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

**

Part Seven

**

**Sirius:**

"Did you know?" I demanded as soon we entered our dormitory.

Remus shot me a disbelieving look. "Why would I have?" he sounded offended.

"I don't know…" I faltered. "I thought that maybe when I introduced you, you might have…er…_felt_ something?"

He managed to look annoyed and amused at the same time. "I'm a werewolf, Padfoot, _not_ a vampire. I can't _sense_ it on people." Fatigued, sore, and sleepy, he sank down onto his bed.

I sat next to him. "I didn't mean anything by it, Remus. It's not like when the Minister asked… I just– I shouldn't have–"

Mercifully, he interrupted me. "It's all right. It doesn't matter."

I rubbed my temples. This was horrible. I had never thought it would be someone I knew. And Jeremy? The clues had been staring me in the face and it _still_ surprised me. "Maybe it wasn't him," I suggested halfheartedly.

How could I have been so daft? Especially considering that one of my best mates was a werewolf? Jeremy had scars on his face. He had rushed off just before the full moon. He had appeared exhausted _after_ the full moon. _He_, not Hagrid's pet Wyvern, had obviously ruined the couch he'd gotten rid of because it'd been 'all clawed up.'

Remus scoffed. "It has to be him. How many unregistered werewolves could possibly be meandering about Hogwarts?"

He was right. Damn it. Jeremy had killed Evelyn Milay. His hut was on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Evelyn was _found_ on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Granted, it could have been far from Jeremy's house but, considering everything else, probably not. "I just–"

"Do I even want to know what time it is?" James grumbled from his bed, poking his head up from between the pillows and bundled blankets.

Remus and I shared a guilty look. "Sorry, mate." I had been too distracted by Jeremy to think about not waking James and Peter, who had stayed behind because it would have been crowded to have a werewolf, dog, and stag running around inside the shack. Assuming there'd be room to run around with Prongs there.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I was only planning to sleep until noon anyway. If I'm six or seven hours shy of that it doesn't matter." Twisting and stretching, he half-yawned half-whined as he sat up. "What's wrong?"

"The Ministry found the werewolf who's responsible for Evelyn's death." I paused as Remus swung his feet behind me so that he could lie down. "It's Jeremy."

James' eyes narrowed. "The American friend of yours? The one I met after the last Quidditch match?"

I nodded morosely.

"Did you know he was a werewolf?"

Remus sighed very loudly but before he could complain, I placated him. "I think he was talking to me, Moony." I turned my attention back to James, who was nodding. "No, I didn't."

"What are you going to do?" he watched me carefully. "Are you going to do anything?"

"He's going to be found guilty of murder," I stated frankly. "What is it that I'd be able to _do_?"

Shrugging, he seemed relieved. "I guess I should be happy that you're not as close friends with him as you are with Moony. If you were, I'd probably wind up in prison for helping you break Jeremy out of that Confinement Center."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Remus was smiling through his concern. I, however, felt like doing anything but that. For Remus I would have done everything I could. Now that Jeremy had been arrested I couldn't help but think…better him than Moony. I felt horribly guilty but it was true, at least in my mind. James and Remus were my best mates. Jeremy was my friend and I hated for this to happen to him but…I wouldn't _fight_ for his life.

Would anyone?

* * *

Thanks to Dumbledore, who had managed to bend the Werewolf Confinement Center rules in our favor, both Remus and I were going to be allowed to visit Jeremy. Honestly, I didn't want to go back in there. If Moony hadn't insisted I probably would have stayed far away from that hellhole, despite my friendship with Jeremy. It was just too depressing to think that our government sanctioned something like this. It would have been easier to go to Hogsmeade for the day and try to forget that such barbarity existed in our world.

Remus and I reached the bottom of the ridiculously long staircase that led into the lobby of the Confinement Center. He was about to open the door when I grabbed his arm and turned him to face me. "Wait."

Moony studied me with concerned, questioning eyes but said nothing.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I released him and indicated the entrance. "Do you really want to see that again?" This _had_ to be harder for him than it was for me. He had recently been _in_ one of those cells. The people who were there now where just like him.

"Of course I don't _want_ to see it. I don't want to smell it and I don't want to remember what it was like to be kept there." On the surface he sounded and looked calm and unaffected. I could see and hear the underlying tension and pain. "We need to do this for him. We need to remind him that not everyone thinks he's a monster and that not everyone thinks he deserves to be here. We need to show him that someone actually cares."

I swallowed. "Is that what I did for you?"

His eyes drifted shut momentarily. When he opened them I could see how much he was suffering. It made me wish I couldn't read him so well. "When you're in a place like that….sometimes it's hard to remember those things. Your visiting me _here_…you have no idea what it meant."

"I'm glad I…helped," I hesitated, my eyes lingering on the door. "If it's the same guy who was working here last month, you should know he's very…hateful."

He nodded. "Thanks for the warning. Do you want to go in now?"

No. "Yeah." It'd be better to get it over with. Moving past Remus, I opened the door and stepped into the lobby. He followed me. The sound of the door shutting covered my soft groan when I saw that the same wizard from last time was indeed sitting at the desk. This time he wasn't reading and actually looked up as soon as we entered. Judging from the tightening of his face, he recognized me.

Moving forward, I spoke quickly so that Remus wouldn't have to deal with him. "We're here to see the unregistered werewolf that was brought in this morning. We're _both_ to be allowed in. The Minister of Magic should have–"

"Yes, yes, he contacted me a short while ago," he snapped impatiently. "Sign in and I'll take you and your…_friend_," he eyed Remus icily, "inside."

Resting my left elbow on the desk, I picked up the quill and scanned the parchment we were expected to fill out. It hadn't changed since the last time I had come here. In fact… I nearly dropped the feather. Oh God. The last name on the list was _mine_. _I_ had been the last person to visit someone in the Confinement Center. I hadn't noticed before but the last visitor before me had been…_six months_ ago.

What, were they just locked away and forgotten? What about their family?

"Most of them figure we're doing them a favor. They don't want to deal with this…problem," the annoying bastard was more than eager to supply.

What? How had he…? I must have asked the question out loud without realizing it.

My fingers clenched the quill tightly against my palm. I was about to set the wizard straight when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Remus didn't have to say anything or even hold the contact between us, I knew what he was telling me. _Stay calm._

I forced myself to relax. Biting my tongue, I filled in the appropriate lines and handed the feather to Remus. He quickly jotted down the requested information. When he was finished, we relinquished our wands and, after storing them, the man opened the hidden entrance.

I followed him in; Remus trailed close behind me.

Even being prepared for the stench did nothing to decrease its disgustingness. I tried to breathe only through my mouth but the odor seeped into my nostrils anyway. Immediately, my eyes began to water and I had to struggle not to retch. When took a step forward my head pounded and everything flashed into darkness for a moment. I paused and waited to become accustomed to the repugnant smell, not moving again until I had.

This time I didn't look into any of the cells. I kept my gaze focused on the narrow hallway in front of me. I didn't want to see the ghosts that haunted this place, I didn't want to see their emaciated flesh and bruised–

Wait. I couldn't hear Remus' footsteps behind me. I came to a stop and turned around. He was frozen in the doorway. Even from here I could tell he had tensed completely. Oh Remus. Why was he doing this to himself? _I_ didn't want to come back here and I had only spent a half hour in the Confinement Center. _He_ had been here for nearly an entire day _and_ it have given him fuel for countless nightmares.

I returned to Moony's side. Placing a hand on his upper back I urged him onward. "Come on, Remus."

He nodded, lips pursing.

We continued together. When we reached the last occupied cell, we found the wizard waiting impatiently for us. "About time," he muttered. He gestured abruptly towards the cell. Simultaneous, we both turned to look inside. Remus remained silent – he was good at that – but I couldn't stifle my gasp of surprise and horror.

He was naked, just like Remus had been. Aside from the obvious bite and claw marks that had to be the result of this and countless previous full moons, he was covered in ugly welts and bruises. His stomach was practically one bloody, purplish-black sore. He had two black eyes and his lips were split in several places. Blood trickled from his mouth and from several wounds that were concealed by his hair. He had been pummeled. _That man_ had pummeled him.

I ripped my gaze away from Jeremy. He was grinning. The wizard was _grinning_ and looking smug and self-satisfied. For a moment all I was aware of was my pounding heart and stifling, loathing anger. Then, before I even knew what I was doing, I had pushed him back against a wall and was holding my arm across his throat so that he was gasping for breath.

Weakly, he struggled against me as he whined and wheezed for oxygen. His mouth opened and shut as if he was trying to say something but nothing intelligible came out. I pushed against his trachea harder and watched as his eyes widened and his face paled.

"Sirius!" Remus' urgent voice breached my rage. "Let him go!"

I didn't move. Remus was right. He hadn't said it but I knew what he was thinking and he was right. This wasn't going to solve anything. _I_ could wind up getting in trouble if he decided to press charges. If nothing else, it would only make him angry. Angry enough to hurt Jeremy some more. But I was _so_ infuriated about what he had done – about what he might have done to Remus if he had been here longer – that I didn't move.

"Padfoot!" he grabbed my shoulder and forcibly jerked me back.

I resisted the urge to shrug Moony off of me. Instead, I took a deep breath and stepped away from the wizard. He didn't fall but he did sag a couple of feet downward against the wall. Rubbing at his throat, which was red from where I had leaned against him, he noisily drew in a few breaths of air before straightening himself and glaring at me.

I returned the glare eagerly. Before I could say anything though, Remus spoke. "Please, let us in," he requested politely.

A scowl remarkably similar to the one Snape always wore contorted his face. "I don't listen to–"

"Let us in!" I ordered, cutting him off.

He smirked but took out his wand. For a moment I felt nervous, thinking he might try something, but he merely turned towards the invisible energy field and muttered a few words. When it hummed and came down Remus and I hastily entered the cell. Neither of us spoke until the man had raised the barrier again and could be heard walking away.

"Sirius," he shook his head disapprovingly, "That was stupid." His faint smile counteracted the reprimand of his words.

I sighed but didn't say anything.

Jeremy stumbled to his feet and looked at us disbelievingly. "Sirius…? Remus…?" he asked, wetting his chapped lips. It was as if he couldn't put any faith in what his eyes were telling him.

I felt guilty again. Guilty for not wanting to help him as urgently as I had wanted to help Remus. I had been frantic to get Moony out of here and have the charges dropped. I felt sorry for Jeremy and hated the system for doing this to him but…he wasn't Remus. He wasn't James. He wasn't even Peter. I felt bad for not caring enough, for not caring as much as I should because good friend of mine or no, he was a human being and he didn't deserve this.

"Yes, Jeremy, we're here," it was Remus who replied.

He shook his head and took an aborted step forward. "Why? I don't…"

"We wanted to see how you're holding up," I offered, smiling.

"We thought you might like to see a friendly face," Moony added.

"My own family won't come," he whispered, more to himself than to us. "You barely know me."

We barely knew him but we were the reason he was here. Or rather, James and I were. If Remus hadn't been released they wouldn't have gone after Jeremy. I couldn't quite feel sorry about that – Remus was _free_ after all – but knew I should.

"Do they know you're here?" Remus inquired.

Jeremy nodded shakily. "Dumbledore contacted them. They're probably glad I finally got caught for something. This is the reason they…kicked me out, after all."

The more I learned about his parents the more they sounded like my own. "My family's scum too."

He smiled, just a little. Then he groaned and abruptly sat down again. "Sorry," he said faintly, "I get dizzy if…stand or move for too long." He shivered.

Shaking my head, I slipped out of my outer robe and handed it to Jeremy. "I'm sorry. I didn't think to bring you clothes." I hadn't thought to bring him anything at all.

He accepted my offering with a very brief grin and managed to slip into the robe without standing. Closing it around himself, he huddled into the thin folds of cloth. "Thanks."

"So, when did they…?" I gestured vaguely at his wounds.

Jeremy flinched at the thought. "As soon as I took Veritaserum and admitted to having killed Evelyn. Dumbledore tried to stop him – that man that brought you in – but he wouldn't listen."

I closed my eyes briefly. If they already knew he was guilty they wouldn't take long in…implementing _justice_. Even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to delay the execution now that they had a verification of culpability. They wouldn't even have to confirm that he was a werewolf by waiting for the next full moon because they had seen him transform back.

"Tomorrow morning at eight," he swallowed and paled visibly.

"What?" I asked, hoping he didn't mean what I thought he did.

"My…e-execution," he chuckled strangely. It struck me how changed he was. His joy was gone. The spark in his eyes that had always shown how happy he managed to be, had died. He was just…terrified. "I guess coming to England wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Fuck," I choked out. And really, what else was there to say?

"I wish I hadn't killed her," he continued brokenly. "I can barely sleep anymore because all I hear are her screams. But at the same time… Is it bad for me to be grateful that I didn't just turn her? Because then it'd be the Dementor's Kiss… Maybe I deserve it but…" he shook his head and fell silent.

"No," Remus' spoke quietly but with precise force. "No one deserves that."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and released a short bark of what might have passed for laughter in some twisted dimension. "I don't think it matters, in the end, who _deserves_ what. I'm still going to die. Whether it's right or wrong, I'm still going to be executed."

What, so we were just supposed to accept it? Were we just supposed to go through our days saying that life wasn't fair and not do anything to change it? We _had_ to do something to change things. Maybe we couldn't save Jeremy but somewhere down the road we had to save _someone_ from this fate. We couldn't just let this continue. This was _wrong_. The way werewolves – so called _'dark creatures'_ – were 'dealt with' was _wrong_. We couldn't just attribute it to life not being fair and go along with our meaningless everyday routines.

But…what _could_ we do? The werewolf rights movement was not a fight that had much support. It didn't even have enough support to be called a 'fight'. _Everyone_, with the exception of a few people here and there, _hated_ werewolves. Or, even if they didn't, had no problem with how they were treated. How were we supposed to oppose the entire wizarding world?

Was there even a way to reach them? If they blithely accepted something like the Dementor's Kiss for any werewolf that turned another person, what could we show them that would change their minds? What was there that could reach through such consuming hatred and fear? Was there anything…at all?

* * *

Remus and I didn't say a single word to one another as we climbed back up the endless flight of stairs. We were too lost for words. It wasn't as if there was anything to say. Were we supposed to ask each other if we were okay? Who could be 'okay' with this? No. Silence best expressed the confusion and anger that I was feeling.

Dumbledore was waiting for us when we reached the main floor of the Ministry. For the first time that I could remember, he looked weary and…old. He barely smiled when he saw us and his eyes seemed more grey than blue. He didn't even say anything as we approached him.

"Professor," I greeted him emotionlessly.

He nodded. "Mr. Black. Mr. Lupin."

Remus came to a jerking stop beside me. When I glanced at him I saw that he wasn't looking at anything in particular. His eyes seemed to be wandering with no focus. Even when they shifted to me I got the distinct impression that he didn't see me – not really.

I reached forward. Just when my hand would have touched his arm, he jumped back. Then he turned and ran not further into the Ministry but out one of the exits that appeared to lead to a busy Muggle street. I was about to follow when Dumbledore stopped me with a softly uttered, "Let him go."

I frowned. "But he'll–"

"He's an intelligent wizard more than capable of finding his way back to Hogwarts," he interrupted me patiently.

I was more than confident in Remus' ability to get back to Hogwarts. He wasn't a first year, after all. I was simply worried. This wasn't like him. I sighed. Maybe he just needed to…get away. Find somewhere to think where no one could bother him. It was overly presumptuous of me to assume he'd want me to talk to me or that I could help him.

"Isn't there something you can do?" I demanded with a little more vehemence than I had intended.

"I wish there was. I truly wish that there was," he replied heavily after a moment's silence. "Hatred and fear are powerful enemies. They can't always be defeated in a timely fashion. It will be a long time before society realizes the atrocity it is allowing."

Yeah. _If it ever does_.

* * *

"_Where_ is he?" I reached the far wall of the room and turned around so that I could continue walking.

James looked up from the essay he was writing. "I don't know, Sirius."

"It's _three_ in the morning! Remus didn't disappear for this long even when he was trying to avoid me after the Prank." I hit the other wall and turned around again.

"Are you sure he isn't…wherever it is you two go?" he asked, sounding altogether too calm.

Finally, I slowly came to a stop. "I don't know. How could I? It's not on the map."

James did a poor job of trying to hide a smile. "That's the whole point, isn't it?"

He was right. For all I knew Remus had returned to Hogwarts immediately after running off. He could have figured that I wouldn't search for him in our set of secret passages because I thought he wasn't in the castle – or anywhere near the castle – at all.

"Should I go look for him?" I asked.

"I think you should go to bed," he set the piece of parchment aside. "He's eighteen. He can take care of himself. If he wants to talk to you, he'll find you."

"You should listen him. At least in this instance. He's actually right."

I spun and found myself facing an amused yet troubled Remus. "Moony…are you all right? Er…stupid question. Are you…better?"

The edges of a smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "Yes. I'm better. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"No," I shook my head. "It's all right. You do what you have to."

"Hmm," he grunted. I wasn't sure if he was agreeing or disagreeing. "I'm going to the execution tomorrow," he announced.

_What?_ "Why? Remus, don't do that to yourself." That was the last thing he needed to witness. Not when the only thing he'd be thinking would be how easily that could have been him.

"This isn't about me. I don't want the last thing he sees to be someone who hates him." He paused and looked me in the eye. I knew what he was going to say next, what he was going to request of me.

"Don't ask me to go with you," I cut him off before he could even open his mouth. "Don't ask me to see that." The Confinement Center had been enough. I didn't need to watch a person be murdered.

"Fine," he replied tightly. "I won't." Then he turned and left the room before I could stop him.

"Is he _trying_ to make things more difficult for himself?" Sighing, I turned back to James. My best mate was watching me disapprovingly. "What?" I demanded.

"If you're so worried about how he's going to handle it, why don't you go?"

"Because I've never seen anyone die and I'd like to keep it that way!" They would bring him into the room. They would say whatever spell they deemed appropriate and his body would fall limp. One moment my friend would be there, frightened and bound, and the next moment he'd be…gone. Was I supposed to want to see that?

"Isn't that a bit selfish? Remus wants you there. He might even need you there," he ignored the anger in my voice and refused to respond in kind. "You've said you'd do anything for me. You've said you'd do anything for him. Even if you hadn't…Jeremy is your friend too. Don't you owe it to him to give him _something_ to hold onto when they…" He couldn't say it. He wanted me to go witness it but he couldn't even say it.

That wasn't what killed me though. What killed me was knowing that he was right.

* * *

I arrived only a few minutes before eight. I was surprised by how many people had packed themselves into the relatively small room. Why would anyone _want_ to be here? I didn't see Remus anywhere. I caught sight of Dumbledore almost immediately but… Oh my God. My parents were here. The heartless bloody bastards! They were here to witness _justice_ being served. The horrible thing was that they believed in it.

Disgusted, I continued searching the crowd. I wouldn't hide from them but I wasn't about to announce my presence either. I had nothing to say to them. My gaze next fell to a man that looked remarkably like Jeremy, only he was probably in his late thirties or early forties. Either it was an older brother or…his father. I was betting on the latter. The woman next to him was probably his mum. Were they sad? Horrified? _Happy_? I couldn't tell. I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Wait. There he was. Remus was standing at the opposite end of the room, near a door that wasn't the one I had entered through. It was probably where they'd bring Jeremy out. In fact, it _was_ where they'd bring him out. I could see the chair where they'd put him for the…

I hastily slipped my way through the mostly silent crowd of people. Remus didn't see me until I was standing directly in front of him. When he did, he looked first surprised and then immeasurably grateful. He smiled. Or, more accurately, tried to smile.

I nodded and returned the barely-there smile. I wanted to apologize for last night and offer my support but trusted that my mere presence here did both those things. Silently, I shifted to stand beside him.

My heart was hammering. My chest ached. My arms and legs seemed cold. I was scared, scared of what I was about to witness. How could this be happening? God, why was I here? Why was Remus here? Why were any of these people here? Was it too late to run and hide somewhere? Whatever happened to the person I had been six years ago, the person whose greatest concern was what prank would better humiliate Snape and the rest of Slytherin? When had my world expanded to include such an injustice as this? Why did I ever have to learn what a miserable place the world really was?

The door to our right opened. First, the Minister of Magic entered the room in a calm, dignified manner. He was followed by Jeremy, who was not only bound by some sort of restraining charm but had a wand armed guard on either side. Right. Because with all the witches and wizards in this room him escaping was just so likely.

My friend – who I had never really gotten to know all that well – looked small and fearful. His eyes were barely brown anymore. They were so dark – so dilated – that I would have thought them black. He was so pale that his skin seemed closer to white than any other color. He was trembling slightly.

He was directed to sit in the provided chair, which he did without energy or protest. He was still wearing the school robe I had given him. Fortunately, it concealed most of his wounds. His bottom lip was swollen and there was dried blood streaking his face. It looked as if it had been spread by the flow of tears.

The wizards guarding him moved so that they were positioned next to each armrest. The Minister stood off to the side, angled so that he could see both the crowd and the condemned. Smiling amicably, he addressed the former.

Not wanting to hear his commendation of this event or the people here, I tuned out his voice and focused on Jeremy. After flitting over the crowd, his eyes settled on Remus and me. I thought that a spark of gratitude momentarily lightened the dark orbs but my imagination might have been giving _me_ the comfort of that delusion.

I nodded once. It would have been cruel to smile.

The next few minutes seemed to pass both quickly and at an agonizingly slow pace. It seemed torturously slow because I appeared to be measuring time with the beating of my heart. It seemed to pass quickly because I never wanted the execution to take place. I wanted it to be some distant future event, not something that would be happening right now.

The crowd clapped sedately. The 'speech' was apparently over. My heart started racing so quickly that it was more of a constant hum than a precise drumming. Now. It was going to happen now. Oh God. I didn't want to be here.

"Prepare to execute the werewolf," the Minister of Magic ordered in a steely tone.

The two wizards nodded mutely, raising their wands in unison.

Numbly, my eyes raked over the crowd of people that had gathered to watch the _murder_. There was a satisfied glint in their eyes. It was as if they were witnessing a neighborhood pest being put down. Not one of them seemed to grasp the atrocity that was about to be committed. I wanted to scream at them. _Don't you realize?_ I wanted to shout, _don't you realize this is a _person _we're _killing? This wasn't a rabid dog or deranged psychopath who had tortured and raped fifteen women. This was a _human being_.

My stomach gave a lurch. I was going to be sick. God, how could this be happening? How could they execute someone for doing something they had absolutely no control over? It wasn't his fault! He was the victim of a horrible condition that cursed him with madness once every month. He wasn't a murderer! He wasn't–

This wasn't real. This _couldn't_ be real. This had to be some sort of sadistic nightmare. Any moment now a hand would grab my shoulder and shake me back into wakefulness. I would open my eyes and see Remus leaning over me, face gentle and concerned. He would ask me if I was all right and I would say that I was and thank him for waking me. Smiling, he would return to his bed and I would fall asleep again, knowing that everything was okay.

However, looking into Remus' tortured and fearful eyes, I knew the truth. This wasn't a nightmare. This was very real.

In unison, the wizards uttered words I was too distracted to understand. Sparkling, swilling light twirled forward from their wands and struck a shaking and ashen Jeremy in the chest. Lighting bolts seemed to encase his body as he uttered a small cry and shook and twisted in the chair. Then, they dissipated and left him stiff and motionless, eyes wide and unblinking. A look of pained dread was forever etched onto his face. His head fell forward.

I would never know how long I stood there, staring at his body, unaware of everything surrounding me. I just couldn't think, couldn't move. Something inside me died in the instant that Jeremy's last breath was taken, in the instant that his _life_ was taken. Disgust beyond the capability of written or spoken language to describe rendered me frozen in mind and action. So I stood there, barely blinking, barely breathing until Remus gripped my arm with such strength that it hurt.

Then I shook myself and realized that almost everyone had left, that we were two of the few who remained. They had all gone off to enjoy breakfast or perhaps a morning walk. Or maybe they'd gone to work. After all, for them it was any normal day. For them, this was the equivalent of protecting the world from monsters and demons.

I shook my head helplessly. Someday things would change. Someday, they would realize they were wrong but until they did…

I glanced at Remus. A single tear was trailing down his cheek.

Until they did I would do my best to live with the knowledge that I was part of a world where things like this were possible. I was part of a world that condoned fear and hatred. I was part of a world that condoned murder.

THE END


End file.
